Scout Programs
Crossroads Farm is a Program Partner with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and offers the following programs. We also work with the Boy Scouts and can customize programs to fit any Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop needs.
Programs run for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Daisies
Use Resources Wisely Petal - Your visit will include a walk around the farm with Clover as our guide. Witness the resourcefulness of our resident bees and learn the importance of composting to the farm. Round out your visit by practicing being resourceful with a seasonal farm project. Customized Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden and Between Earth and Sky Journey programs available upon request.
Make the World a Better Place Petal - Your visit will include a walk around the farm with Rose as our guide. Use our Puppet Theatre, created as a Silver Award Project, to build a skit around making the world a better place using farm themes such as composting, seed saving, and bees as guides. Seasonal farm activities will round out your experience at the farm. Customized Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden and Between Earth and Sky Journey programs available upon request.
Outdoor Art Maker Badge - See the colors and hear the sounds of nature while on a walk through Crossroads Farm. While on your walk, learn how we protect nature and "leave no trace". Collect flowers, leaves and other natural materials while on your walk to use in creating your outdoor art masterpiece! Your masterpiece will tell your story of your walk on the farm.
Eco Learner - Learn how to protect nature at Crossroads Farm. Take a tour of the farm and learn about the different animal habitats, plants and vegetables we have and how to protect them. Help the farm by doing a seasonal activity and finish your visit by making up a trash story about what happens when we litter and acting it out using your puppets and puppet theatre.
Brownies
Eco Friend Badge - Spend time exploring and observing the outdoors all while learning how to protect the environment. We will hike the farm and use our observation skills as we learn how to protect nature and the birds and bugs. Your hike will include the orchard, vegetable beds, herb garden, teaching gardens, and greenhouse. We will stop at our woodpile and discuss the different sizes and conditions of the wood and which ones are best for our campfire. We will also build and safely put out a campfire while practicing being kind and learning about the special people who work at the farm. Troops are welcome to bring supplies for s'mores!
Outdoor Adventure Badge - Spend time exploring the outdoors at Crossroads Farm. Play outdoor games and complete friendly challenges before going on a hike around the farm to look for plants to use in your scent diary. Care for the outdoors by helping the farm with a seasonal activity. Customize your badge by working with farm staff to choose appropriate games and/or camp skills activities during your visit.
Bugs Badge - Bugs help us in lots of cool ways. During your farm tour we will learn about the importance of bugs such as butterflies, bees, and worms. We will explore both above and below the ground, including beehoves and milkweed plants. Then we will design our own paper butterflies. Once complete we will forage for materials for a bug hotel. We will also use sifters to explore our compost bins and see what bugs are at work.
Outdoor Art Creator Badge - Art can be found everywhere - not just in the four walls of a museum. We will spend time exploring the farm and foraging for art materials. After our exploring we will create seasonal art masterpieces using the materials we found. Music and dance is art too. Tell a story about your masterpiece using music or dance.
Juniors
Gardener Badge - Get ready to dig in the dirt and explore the beauty and innerworkings of a garden. Create a bouquet of fresh flowers, participate in a seasonal farm chore, and learn about the decisions to make when planting vegetables, herbs, and flowers so you can create your own garden at home.
Outdoor Art Explorer Badge - Experience art in the outdoors with one of our resident artists at Crossroads Farm. Talk with our artist and learn how she uses nature in her own works before going on a walking tour of the farm to find your own inspiration. While on our walk, listen to the sounds and feel the different textures of the world around you. How do these perspectives impact what we want to create? Create your own work of art using found objects in nature and other art materials. Cameras are optional for a photographer's view of the farm.
Flowers Badge - Flowers are so beautiful, we bring them from the outside into our homes to add cheer to a room. But there’s more to flowers than just good looks, our educators will teach you about their other many benefits. As we walk through the farm we will learn to identify different types of flowers using our senses. Round out your visit by gathering flowers for a bouquet or create art using flowers.
Camper Badge - A local campout can make an excellent adventure! Join us for a night of learning new camping skills and embracing your inner outdoor chef. We will spend time learning how to build a fire and then using that fire we will cook a camp meal and/or s’mores. We will take a pledge to protect nature by exploring the farm and learning how to Leave No Trace.
Cadettes
Art Apprentice Badge - Have you ever wondered where natural dyes come from? While at Crossroads Farm use plants, herbs and flowers for inspiration to make your own custom dye using natural powered dyes. Tie-dye fabrics to create your own personal masterpiece. Sketch/draw or take photos during the process so you can create a photo journal of your experience. Round out your time by writing a poem inspired by the wonders of nature.
Tree Badge - Dig into the amazing life of trees and what they do for our environment. Identify trees here at the farm, learn about their parts, sketch the trees to start your tree journal. Plant a tree during your visit and learn about what it takes to keep the tree thriving. Discuss the connection between people and trees.
Night Owl Badge - The world is a different place at night. Take the chance to explore the world after dark at Crossroads Farm. Use all the five senses as you explore the bounty of fields using a flashlight and the light of the moon. Examine the night sky while on your walk and see how many star patterns you can find. Wrap up the evening by reciting poetry and/or sharing a night inspired legend as you sit around a campfire. Leaders are welcome to bring ingredients for s'mores.
New Cuisines Badge - Using fresh organic seasonal produce that the farm has to offer we will start the New Cuisine badge. Culinary possibilities are as diverse as the globe of people who cook them. We will explore those possibilities by preparing dishes from across the globe.
Seniors
Locavore Badge - Learn about the benefits of eating locally and why the efforts of locavores are so important at Crossroads Farm. Speak to people who grow and deliver local foods and learn about the benefits and challenges they face. Learn what eating seasonally means and what role transportation plays in the food you eat. Create a simple meal using food you harvest yourself at the farm. While here you can start thinking about your local cooking challenge and what recipe you'll make at home with local ingredients. Learn how to make your own compost is an optional activity.
Eco Explorer Badge - An eco explorer is a person who investigates environmental issues and works to make positive change to the environment. What better place to do this than on a farm! Our educators will take you on a tour of the farm where we will discuss the importance of conservation, sustainability, and biodiversity. While exploring we’ll take a look at our milkweed and other native plants and learn about their role in butterfly migration. Round out your visit with a farm chore.
Ambassador
Eco Advocate Badge - It’s called Mother Earth or Mother Nature because every living thing depends on nature to survive. What are your priorities when it comes to valuing and protecting nature? As an eco advocate, you’ll learn how to protect nature at our farm. You’ll get to learn all about bees, composting, and the importance of native plants while taking a tour of our farm. Round out your visit with a farming activity.
SENIORS AND AMBASSADORS
Be a Seed of Change: Highest Award Exploration - What’s really important to you? Get inspired to earn your Gold Award. Our staff will share their knowledge of the science and practice of farming including ongoing challenges. Learn about the farms mission to serve as a model for farm renewal, community education and outreach, activism, and environmental awareness. Leave this informational program with a true understanding of current issues and hone in on an idea for where you feel you can make a difference. Crossroads Farm is the perfect place to discuss an array of topics like buildings, grounds, and equipment, farm-to-table, agriculture, local organic farming, gardening (including pollinators and native species), and outdoor education.