Miracle Grounds Farm exists to bring Crossnore’s mission to life through hands-on learning and meaningful experiences in the garden. We help feed and empower Crossnore youth, families, and the community. As an educational space, we offer ways for kids to build resilience, using a trauma-informed lens to deepen their understanding of the natural world.
Our History
Established in 2017, Miracle Grounds Farm sits on 100 acres at the center of the Winston-Salem campus of Crossnore Communities for Children. Volunteers work in the fields, planting and cultivating crops, and then participate in the harvest of each season. Children who live on campus at Crossnore get their hands in the soil too and are especially proud of the produce they grow.
In 2019, the Twin City Garden Club provided generous support to create an experiential and educational food forest at the entrance of Miracle Grounds Farm. This project is central to the farm and how we involve and teach kids about nature and food. The food forest was designed with the elements of permaculture in mind, meaning the plants support each other to make a supportive and sustainable ecosystem. The food forest is a self-guided and interactive space that includes a meditation space, native/perennial pollinator beds, edible beds, native fruit trees and shrubs, and accessible paths that are open to the public, and more.
Education
Miracle Grounds Farm and Food Forest are open to the public for self-guided exploration from dawn to dusk, and by reservation to schools for educational field trips. We utilize the space as an educational environment for the kids and families we serve with workshops ranging from natural indigo dyeing events (including harvesting the indigo and walking kids through the processing of the dye to application on materials), to planting, tending, and harvesting plants in the garden, cooking classes, and soil science.
Periodically, we work with other organizations to host a broad range of workshops and partnered events. To learn about current offerings, visit the Crossnore Events page.
Volunteer at Miracle Grounds Farm
There are many opportunities to volunteer on the farm at Crossnore Communities for Children. We need individuals and groups year-round to help us with garden maintenance, growing produce, building projects, and preparing activities for our kids.
We have a particular need for Garden Leaders, who can commit to overseeing regularly scheduled times at the garden. Responsibilities will vary depending on the season. As a Garden Leader, you will get hands-on experience in the garden, and access to learning one-on-one with our staff. This is a chance for you to deepen your knowledge of various gardening practices and build relationships with people in our community.
To find out more about volunteering and to get started, visit our volunteer page here.
Resources
Nature’s Effect on Childhood Development
Do Experiences with Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-and-Effect Relationship
Children with Attention Deficits Concentrate Better after Walk in the Park
Playing Freely in Nature May Be Really Good for Kids
Children and Nature: What We Know and What We Do Not
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
