Rainbow Ridge Gardens includes the vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, and animal husbandry aspects of Asheville Farmstead School. We believe that the best way to make a connection to nature, living organisms, and nutrition is to be involved in these parts of our world on a daily basis.
The children at AFS are an integral part of our gardening program and wild-range chicken care. This involves starting seeds, turning soil, transplanting seedlings to the garden, watering, harvesting (and eating) vegetables and fruits grown here. The hens are well-loved each day with cuddles from the children and a large pasture to free-range. The children help check for eggs each day and are a part of the hen’s daily needs.
Littlest Learners is a farm-and-forest-based early-childhood enrichment program for students aged 5-8. With our Littlest Learners program, the older children are even more involved with our Farm and the Tailgate Market, using the gardening program to learn across the subjects of natural science, literacy, social-emotional skills, and unstructured play.
Rainbow Ridge Gardens sales at the Enka-Candler Tailgate Market directly support our gardening and animal husbandry programs, as well as advance our student scholarship fund.