The Educational Farm
Director: Mr. Yaakov Weglein

Phone: 054-2510121
Address: Zeit Shemen 36, Zayit
Email: chavatefrat@gmail.com

The Farm for agricultural and environmental education is an independent school that operates in cooperation with the other educational institutions in Efrat and Gush Etzion. The Farm educates students in the basics of environmental agriculture and principles of sustainability. At the Farm, students also develop social and spiritual values while learning. Learning on the Farm combines theoretical and practical lessons.

At the Farm, students experience a variety of fields of study and work. In our vegetable beds, students build and prepare the flower beds and then they sow, plant, and care for the plants until harvest. We have three greenhouses: one for vegetables, one for plants, and one for experiments and research. Students also work in the vineyard and the orchard. 

We also have a chicken coop, a program for making natural cosmetics, a fish pool, gardens of medicinal plants, a winery, an antique-style olive press, and more!

Programming on the Farm includes:
Second Grade: We have expanded our program to include second graders. We now host seven second grade classes from three schools. These students focus on processes in nature and agriculture. They learn the importance of each step, and the value of completing the whole process through to the end.
Fourth Grade: All fourth graders in Efrat and Gush Etzion come to the Farm once a week. They study agriculture and basic sustainability with emphasis on plant needs, environmental solutions, and the agricultural traditions of the people of Israel.
Third Grade: As part of the science curriculum, 6 third grade classes come every week to enrich their studies on the Farm. Science teachers use the Farm to illustrate what is being taught in classroom textbooks.
Research Program: The Farm allows schools to carry out research work as part of the science curriculum in sixth and eighth grades. Students go through the process of creating an experiment, setting it up, and monitoring the results under the guidance of a teacher from the Farm staff.
Special Education Classes: The Farm offers programs for special education classes of all ages. The curriculum of each class is tailored to the unique needs of each class.
Personal Commitment: As part of the requirements to graduate high school, each student must engage in volunteer work. Groups from several high schools in Efrat and Gush Etzion come every week to help in the development and maintenance of the Farm.

In the future we will expand the Farm to include: beehives, spinning and weaving, construction from mud, and more!