at Happy Apple’s Farm

We offer field trips for students and adults from April to November. Bring your class, troop, club, or organization out to Happy Apple’s Farm to learn about our local native plants in our native gardens, nursery, and prairie. 

Get hands-on and learn how to care for a native plant garden, joining us in the stewardship of our gardens and prairie. Plant seeds, tend weeds, trim back plants, transplant, harvest seeds, and more—your trip will be tailored to the season (and your group’s interests). 

We can comfortably host up to 25 people at a time, and ask that chaperones accompany youth under 16 (pre-school age requires 1 adult/3 children). Tour-only field trips are up to 90 minutes; hands-on experiences are up to three hours. We offer both daytime and occasional evening opportunities. 

Inquiry Form

Lesson Topics

We would love to tailor our lesson to your group. On your registration form, you will be able to request the topics you are interested in. Popular topics include:

  • Ecology of the prairie
  • Pollinators and their host plants
  • Seed collection
  • Native plant propagation
  • Why native plants?
  • Adding native plants to your home landscape

About our prairie

The prairie at Happy Apple’s Farm, home of Botanical Belonging, is nearly 10 acres of unplowed land that was historically grazed and hayed. Shallow soils occasionally expose the underlying sandstone known as Tonganoxie Sandstone. For more than twelve years, the land has been on a hay-burn-graze rotation to discourage the cool season grasses. We have identified many naturally occurring prairie plants, and the site has since been over-seeded with many native plant species that would have historically been found in this region and are adapted to these shallow soils. Trails are mowed throughout our prairie. 

About our native gardens

Our native plant garden has been growing — in more ways than one — since the Ragsdales moved out to Happy Apple’s Farm full-time in 2014. It is a beautiful place to stroll and chat about our local native plant species, their ecology, their history, and how you can grow them yourself. Over 100 native species are accessible to see, touch, and smell, right off our garden paths.

Payment

We ask for $5 per participant for a field trip or tour group. We also offer scholarships for individuals or groups for whom cost is a barrier; please inquire. We will send an invoice at registration; payment is due the date of your event, online or by check.  

If you are interested in setting up a volunteer workday for your group, visit our volunteer page!

What to wear

Dress for the weather and wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. We highly recommend long pants. Seasonally, you will want to bring sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, and a water bottle. 

Accessibility & amenities

Happy Apple’s Farm has a restroom and drinking water available. Our field trips are held completely outdoors. Our pathways are gravel or mowed grass; please reach out to discuss any accessibility needs in your party. 

Weather policies

We will reschedule any field trips scheduled during a weather advisory, including storms and excessive heat. If your organization has weather rules of its own, please let us know, and we are happy to abide by them. Depending on your group, we may still meet in a light rain. 

Location

Happy Apple’s Farm is at 17524 178th St. Tonganoxie, KS 66086. Ample parking is available on site.

About Botanical Belonging

Botanical Belonging Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has a vision of reconnecting our communities back to the natural world and the natural systems that support life. It is a place where people can learn about native plants that are the components of prairie ecosystems. It empowers people to create and maintain their own native prairie gardens, and the on-site restored prairie offers opportunities to experience native plants in their original environment and demonstrate the importance of prairie maintenance, including invasive plant identification and mitigation by periodic burning. Botanical Belonging is thrilled to offer opportunities for learners of all ages.

Contact

For more information about our field trips, contact:
Patti Ragsdale
patti@botanicalbelonging.org
(816) 260-6417