Learn about the bountiful land and soil that connects us all and allows us to heal and thrive in the heart of the Berkshires.
This class covers the life cycle and needs of a chicken. Learn how to raise, handle, and care for a backyard flock, and how to set up a small coop to give hens safe access to a pasture. This fun and hands-on class will offer an opportunity for you to collect eggs in the coop and bond with a hen. 50 MIN | $45
Complimentary
Tour the Meadowview barn and gardens and meet our medley of plants, birds, and animals. Learn about sustainable practices, biodynamic principles, and a vision for responsible agriculture's role in our health and earth care. Get to know our hens that provide our restaurants with fresh eggs, along with our bees and raptors (including red-tailed hawks, owls, and vultures). Taste seasonal, fresh crops straight from the field and ask questions about your own growing endeavors. Be sure to bring your phone to take pictures with our gentle friends. 50 MIN
In this program guests will be personally introduced to a bird of prey, while learning about their life and ways. Guests will have the opportunity to connect with these special beings and explore for themselves the power of life re-envisioned. Themes emphasize the natural history, science and symbolism of these animals as well as a service component of direct interaction and caretaking. 4 people max. 75 MIN | $75
Seasonally Offered
Come enjoy a fungal adventure! Take a meditative stroll and further explore the many mysterious and magical roles of fungi. Learn about and practice some basic mushroom identification skills. Deepen your understanding of the fungal connections that surround us. 110 MIN | $45
Complimentary
This lecture discusses our history with fungi, medicinal applications, and commonly foraged culinary treats. Fungi are much more than tasty morsels. They serve as healers that enable and strengthen many species in ways that we are only beginning to understand. Familiarize yourself with mushrooms beyond their fruiting bodies and discover the mysteries of the mycelial network.
NEW
Learn about microgreens, a nutrient-dense food that you can quickly grow in very small spaces. Taste several microgreens, each with their own unique flavor and nutritional offerings to explore what you may like to grow. Next, practice seed-sowing and harvesting to explore the ease of hands-on cultivation. Conclude with a fresh wheatgrass or barley juice sample and celebrate the joy of the seed-to-harvest process. 75 MIN | $45
NEW
Owls are ancient symbols of stillness, focus, and inner knowing, and can teach us a lot. As the days get shorter and colder, nature goes within. Owls are with us through this time. They do not migrate; they adapt to the season, hunting alone in the stillness of night. Owl teaches us that if we are willing to look inside and brave our “flight” through the darkness, we will emerge with rewards from our deepest selves. Spend time with Miraval’s owls and explore their world through direct connection, meditation, and creative expression. 75 MIN | $75
Seasonally Offered
Participate in the hands-on propagation of mushrooms on the farm, from spore to fruit. Learn how we can incorporate fruiting bodies into our daily lives and why they are so beneficial. Explore the many different roles of fungi within our ecosystems and investigate how we can take our cues from nature and apply them to our agricultural systems. 80 MIN | $75
Seasonally Offered
Learn about sustainable living while you explore our gardens’ seasonal needs and take part in hands-on activities. Engage with the plants by getting your hands in the soil. When we approach gardening from the perspective of gratitude for the earth and its natural ecosystems, the energy and effort we exert extends to our community. Conclude with a walk to our Gratitude Passage, where you may share insights and read reflections left by others. 80 MIN | $45
Seasonally Offered
We invite you to be a part of the cycle of farm life. Practice tending the gardens, as well as feeding and caring for our animals. Engage all five senses as you move through our gardens, apiary, chicken yard, raptor house, and horse barn. 110 MIN | $45
