[Homeschool Classes] [Field Trips]
A real working farm with a focus on sustainable and humane agriculture. Located on picturesque Whaletail Lake in Minnetrista, Gale Woods Farm offers unique educational opportunities for visitors of all ages to learn about agriculture, food production and land stewardship.
Phone: 763-694-2001
Hours of Operation: Open year round, 9am-5pm.
Homeschool Classes
Gale Woods Farms offers two series of classes for homeschool students.
- The weekly Hoofs & Halters series is a leadership program in which students ages 10 to 14 master animal husbandry skills and livestock showmanship. It has an companion program, Farm Explorers, for younger siblings ages 6 to 9, that introduces children to life on the farm through work in the gardens, orchards and barns. Students sign up for six-week sessions and are encouraged to register for both fall and spring sessions.
- The monthly series Farm Quest runs throughout fall, winter and spring and provides children ages 7 to 11 with a regular opportunity to learning about animal care and farm life through farm chores, craft projects and cooking with farm products. Younger siblings will be interested in the companion programs, Farm Adventures for ages 4 to 6 and Farm Discovery for ages 2 to 4.
Online class listings and registration.
If online registration is not yet open, check the Homeschool section under Group Experiences for a link to a PDF brochure of all upcoming homeschool events at all Three Rivers Park District locations.
Field Trips
Please visit Gale Woods Farm's website for a description of current programs which focus on the seasonal life of the farm, including fall harvests and springtime animal babies and plant seedlings.
Note: All children and adults should have name badges, and everyone should be dressed for the weather and wearing closed-toe shoes (no sandals or Crocs™).
Outdoor space for bag lunches is available on a first come, first serve basis. Indoor lunch space may be arranged in advance for 3 and 4 hour programs.
Minimum Group Size: no minimum number, but there is a minimum fee of $75 to $120 depending on program length — see below for details
Maximum Group Size: 12 children per Farm Educator, plus accompanying adults for no more than 22 persons per group
Cost per Child/Student
2 hour program: $75 for up to 12 students ($6.25/child for a group of 12)
3 hour program: $100 for up to 12 students ($8.33-1/3/child for a group of 12)
4 hour program: $100 for up to 10 students ($10/child for a group of 10)
$110 for 11 students and $120 for 12 students)
Cost per Adult/Educator:
$6.25/adult for 2-hour preschool programs
Free for adults accompanying children in grades K-12. Adults may be asked to assist the farm educator during the program.
Target Age Range: Programs offered for preschoolers through adults. Program content will be geared toward the requested age group.
Sibling Policy:All participating children should pay the participation fee. Younger children may not participate in some task for safety reasons.
Parent/Guardian/Educator Policy: Parents are welcome to join their children in role of volunteer assistants to the farm educators.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations evaluated individually. Payment may be required based on the time of cancellation.
Gathering Place Recommendations: Right outside the visitor's center, right by the chickens. During inclement weather, there's a small lobby inside the visitor's center.
Parking Information: Free parking in large lot on site.
Driving Directions
Directions From I-494, go west on I-394/Highway 12 for four miles. Exit on County 15 West in Wayzata and travel eight miles. Turn left in Mound on County Rd 110, then travel three miles and look for Gale Woods park signs. Turn right at driveway and proceed up the hill into the park. (Note: Access to CR-11 is not affected by the road construction on Highway 7.)
Directions From Highway 7 and County Rd 44 (Lake Minnetonka Regional Park), head north on County Road 44 to Mound; turn Left on County Rd 110, then travel one mile and turn right at Gale Woods driveway and proceed up the hill into the park.
