Gentle Roots Farm welcomes neighbors to celebrate the start of summer
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — On a two-acre plot in the heart of the city, mornings begin not with bells and worksheets but with the rustle of feathers and the smell of fresh dirt. This is Gentle Roots Farm, a nature-based farm school where children spend their days outside, hands in the soil, learning lessons that don't always fit into a textbook.
The farm is the creation of Emily, who built Gentle Roots out of a simple conviction: kids do better outdoors. On the farm's website, she writes that caring for animals, working the garden, and solving problems alongside other children teaches lessons that screens struggle to replicate. The goal is to give children room to slow down, get messy, and build confidence and empathy through hands-on experience.
That philosophy shapes how the farm runs its programs. Children spend their time tending animals, digging in garden beds, foraging, cooking, and building things with their hands. Gentle Roots describes this as letting curiosity lead, with each day designed to spark a genuine love of learning rather than force it. Central to the farm's mission are the values it hopes to instill: kindness, respect for the land and teamwork.
For Emily, the work is personal. She writes that Gentle Roots is not simply a business but a community, one she's honored to share with the families who walk through its gates. That sense of community is on display this weekend, as the farm opens its gates for a Summer Kickoff event, a chance for local families to get a firsthand look at what the farm offers.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20. Entry is free, though most activities carry a small additional cost. For parents wondering whether a place like Gentle Roots might suit their child, whether as a future camp, an extracurricular class, or simply a new weekend outing, the Summer Kickoff offers a chance to see the farm in action before committing to anything. The farm operates as a supplement to a child's education and is not intended to replace traditional schooling.
There's plenty to do once you're there. Chickens and rabbits available for adoption will be on hand for visitors hoping to bring some fur or feathers into their own households. A petting zoo, available for an additional $10, lets kids get up close with the farm's resident animals. A crafts station, available for an additional $5, gives children the chance to make a summer keepsake to take home.
Families looking for some friendly competition can grab a set of bags for cornhole. The farm has set aside a dedicated, shaded toddler area for its youngest visitors to play safely while older siblings explore. A local vendor market will fill out the grounds with goods, treats, and crafts from small businesses across the community, giving the event the feel of a neighborhood gathering as much as a farm open house.
One Facebook commenter described Gentle Roots as a local treasure, saying the farm teaches both kids and curious adults how to care for and understand farm animals, and calling its events something worth protecting. For Emily, that kind of response speaks to what she set out to build in the first place. Children are happiest when given space to be seen, valued and allowed to grow into themselves at their own pace, something she says can be hard to come by in a world that often asks kids to grow up fast.
The farm's approach stands in contrast to the pressure many parents feel to keep their children scheduled, screened and constantly productive. Here, a Tuesday morning might mean feeding goats, pulling weeds, or watching a hen settle into her nesting box. The farm's website lists programs including summer camps and homeschool enrichment classes, all built around the same principle: that children learn best when they're allowed to move and can experience the natural world with all their senses.
Emily says the farm welcomes not just children enrolled in its programs but also families curious about what a farm-based education looks like in practice. Some parents visit once and sign up for a weekly class. Others come back for seasonal events, treating the farm as a place to slow down for an afternoon. Either way, the farm remains open to neighbors who want to see what two acres of animals, gardens, and unhurried childhood can offer.
The Summer Kickoff offers a glimpse of that ethos in action: animals, gardens, neighbors and unhurried childhood, all gathered onto two acres for one Saturday. For families interested in future classes or curious to see the farm for themselves, more information is available at www.gentlerootsfarm.com.
