The Burgundy Barnyard

Not to be confused with our 600-acre campus in West Virginia, Burgundy’s Alexandria campus has a full working farm, pond and garden. Students in Junior Kindergarten through 3rd grade partake in Farm Studies classes where they use these spaces to learn about food sourcing, animal therapy, soil make-up and more.

Since our conception, the natural world has been integral to the learning that happens at our school. Our farm animals include two miniature horses, three goats, three sheep, and various birds over the years, including chickens, ducks, turkeys and quail. This program intentionally brings children into the lives of animals and the Earth for learning experiences that happen organically, right in front of them. Burgundy honors the lessons that nature has to offer and our students find joy in these real learning experiences.

During the school year, we also invite preschools in the DMV to our Alexandria campus for a hands-on field trip in our Burgundy Barnyard!

Our Burgundy Barnyard Playdates allow preschools the opportunity to bring students to our campus at no cost to visit with our animals and learn more about their life in the barnyard. This is an enriching and developmentally-appropriate experience for children and gives families an authentic glimpse at life at Burgundy.

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming the Penguin class from Virginia Hills Baptist Church Preschool to Burgundy. On a crisp autumn day, they met our caretaker, Ali ’04, fed our chickens, pet our miniature horse, Poppy, and enjoyed playtime on our discovery playground!

If your preschool or community organization is interested in learning more about Barnyard Playdates, we encourage you to reach out to Admissions at (703) 329-6968 or admission@burgundyfarm.org.

Ali Shepard ‘04 is a beloved alumna of Burgundy and is the hands in the hay on our farm! She came to Burgundy with her background as a professional equestrian and riding instructor with an emphasis on working with beginner students. Between caring for the animals and tending to the garden, Ali is also our Farm Studies teacher. Ali builds the curriculum and philosophy for the program upon natural cycles in nature, keeping in mind where kids are developmentally. This translates into rich learning that happens through all seasons and is responsive to student interest. We thank Ali for keeping our roosters crowing and our sheep baaing, but most importantly, for keeping our children held in their curiosity about the natural world!

Click here to inquire about 2023-2024 Admissions.