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Charles L. Bowers School Farm

About Bowers Farm

Charles L. Bowers School Farm was purchased in the mid-1960's by Bloomfield Hills Schools to be used as a land laboratory. We are housed on 90 acres within Bloomfield Hills.

Animals such as sheep, horses, llama and a donkey graze the pastures. We also house poultry of all types, rabbits and goats. Every animal has a purpose here at the farm and farm equipment is used daily to maintain the property as an educational agriculture production enterprise.

Charles L. Bowers Farm is open daily and year-round for various educational programs and community events.
 

MSU Partnership

Bowers School Farm is a proud partner of Michigan State University Extension. The latest research-based curriculum and experiential methodology inform the instructional design of our hands-on school and community programs.

Focusing on the process of science, educators from MSU enhance the unique learning experiences, activities and hands-on workshops at the farm. These experiences give students the opportunity to understand the interconnectedness between science, food, and our natural world.

Want to Visit Bowers Farm?

The farm offers educational field trips for schools interested in enhancing the classroom learning experience through authentic, place-based learning. Community organizations such as scouts, neighborhood associations, family and church groups can also sign-up to participate. Program topics include Plant Science, Animal Behavior, Sustainability, Harvesting, Conservation and Genetics to name a few. Programs with specific topics run at different times of the school year, range in duration and price and target different ages/groups.

If you prefer a more casual visit to Bowers Farm, we invite you to take a one-hour guided tour! Tours are scheduled in advance to allow for customized experiences for individuals and groups of virtually any size. Our Farm tour & wagon ride is an hour long and we ask for a minimum of 5 people. The cost is $10/person. We can still provide a tour & wagon ride for groups of less than 5, however the cost will then be a flat-fee of $50. If you'd like to schedule an educational program or a one-hour tour, please complete the online form or call us at 248.341.6475.

Community Events

Every year we host a fun-filled "Spring Fling & Pancake Breakfast" and a "Fall Festival" community event! Visit the Farm Programs & Events page for details.

Other Farm Happenings

We are happy to provide the following programs:

  • A 79-plot Community Garden for those interested in renting a garden plot
  • A Community Horse Program for those who have a love for horses and riding
  • A seasonal farm stand that is stocked with fresh veggies and eggs from our gardens and hens at Bowers Farm!
  • Room and Area Rentals - we are also pleased to rent areas of our facility to those looking to host a birthday party, wedding or baby shower and even have their wedding take place in our lovely gardens maintained by the MSU Master Gardeners!


Visit the Farm Programs & Events page for additional information or feel free to call 248.341.6475.

Facebook

    Fall Fest Is Coming - And It's Better Than Ever!
    As much as we all wish the weather would remain in the 80's and sunny, the autumnal equinox is approaching much too quickly, and our plans for this year's Fall Fest are well underway. We are excited to announce new events and entertainment, as well as "Festival After Five", an "adults only" evening after hours on Saturday, October 5th. We have partnered with Griffin Claw Brewery, and look forward to extending the celebration into the night hours. There will also be entertainment provided by Square Pegz. It is important to keep watching our newsletter and website for tickets and more information. For now, make sure your calendar is marked for the first weekend in October. We look forward to celebrating with you!
    Read more about Fall Fest Is Coming - And It's Better Than Ever!
    Now Hiring - Farm Instructional Guide
    Do you LOVE working with farm animals, collaborating with teachers, and creating engaging activities for young learners? If so, we would love to have you join our educational team! We are looking for an educational farm guide to help us develop and implement programs, which include general farm tours, early learning immersion in agriculture, historical connections to our farm and community and more! If you are interested, please visit the consortium website to begin your application here. You can search by district, then by "non-certified" positions. We would love to have you join our team!
    Read more about Now Hiring - Farm Instructional Guide
    Book Your Group's Fall Tours Now
    With the school year approaching, now is the time to consider booking your fall tour of our farm. Fall is a great time to visit, with cooler temperatures, rides to the pumpkin patch, and the final harvest of our fruits and vegetables from Bowers Garden. If you are interested in booking a private family tour, school, church, or community group, please call now. Available dates and times are limited. Please contact Jackie from 8am-2pm at 248.341.6481.
    Read more about Book Your Group's Fall Tours Now
    2019 Oakland County Fair A Huge Success
    The 2019 Oakland County Fair was a wonderful time for our Bowers 4H members to shine! Our club brought an amazing 57 animals to fair this year. It was so wonderful to see all of the hard work pay off. Bowers had 2 Grand Champion animal winners - Ethan Heckman and Katie Kotula. We also had 15 first place winners, 11 second place winners and 55+ other ribbons and awards. We would also like to give a special shout out to Brendan Champoux who was crowned Prince of the fair, as well as 4H parent Pam Shenouda who earned her own 1st place rosette in adult scrapbook design.
     
    All of this could not be done without the support of our farm staff, especially Kathleen Blust and Rachel Duncan who supported our kids all year long! We are eagerly looking forward to 2020. Please contact Oakland County 4H extension Program Coordinator, Deb Morgan, at morga194@msu.edu or 248.347.3860, ext. 279 OR bowersfarm4h@gmail.com if you are interested in getting your child involved in this amazing experience.
    Read more about 2019 Oakland County Fair A Huge Success
    Technology + Nature - Get Your Kids Outside!
    Frustrated with Fortnite? Feeling like you can’t get your kids outside? Need something educational, fun, and engaging to motivate them? Check out this article, which shows you five apps you can download on your iPad, phone, or tablet to get your kids outside and exploring, hand-in-hand with technology. While using these, they can meet new creepy-crawly creatures or discover new constellations. We can’t encourage you enough to go out and explore!
    Read more about Technology + Nature - Get Your Kids Outside!

    CLASS REGISTRATION

    LOCATION


    Charles L. Bowers School Farm
    1219 East Square Lake Road
    Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

    To schedule a visit, please call:
    248.341.6481
    Monday-Friday
    between 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

    Bowers Farm is open daily for visits that are booked in advance. Walk-ins are allowed for designated community events only (see Fall Festival information).

    Want to book a visit to the farm? Take a guided tour! Please complete this online form or call 248.341.6481.

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    Contacts

    Alan Jaros
    Director
    248.341.6480
    AJaros@bloomfield.org

    Jackie Doran
    Program Specialist 
    (scheduling of programs, events and general questions)
    weekdays from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
    248.341.6481
    JDoran@bloomfield.org

     

    Athletics, Recreation, and
    Community Services:

    248.433.0885