Proud of our Heritage

Here at Mountain Laurel Montessori we are proud to be raising heritage pigs.


Our pigs are Tamworths, one of the oldest known breeds. They are listed as threatened by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Heritage breeds are important because they help preserve the genetic diversity of our livestock. They tend to be hearty, withstand disease, and are often better suited to being raised on pasture.

Our Tamworths are happily soaking in all of the belly-rubs offered by the students and eating vegetable scraps from both of our campuses and a local restaurant.

Digging out from the snowstorm

Good will abounded as students, parents, teachers, and neighbors came back to school on the first day of winter vacation to help dig paths to the animals.

Two feet of snow fell during the weekend before Christmas 2009 in the biggest December snow storm ever in Flint Hill, Virginia.

Volunteers dug paths to the pigs, sheep, and chickens, and made sure all were warm and had access to fresh water and food.

It was a wonderful demonstration of the dedication of the Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School Community.

Holidays are a time for appreciating and enjoying family, and at Mountain Laurel Montessori we really value ours.

Students Give Presentations

Students deliver final presentations at the end of each Occupation and Humanities Project.

It is, in Montessori terms, the 3rd period of a 3-period lesson.

It is a time when the students share their newly developed expertise with the rest of the Farm School Community, and are recognized as true experts in that particular area.

Montessori students have many opportunities such as these to develop their public speaking skills.

Here, students from the Sheep Occupation talk about pregnancy and lambing, including DNA (the Sheep Occupation).

The Wind Energy Occupation is demonstrating their first successful anemometer

This Little Piggie Went to the Farm School...

We have new pigs!!

We have recently been joined by 3 young Tamworth pigs. Tamworth is a heritage breed that originated in the United Kingdom (notice the Irish red hair) and is now listed as "Threatened" in the United States.

It is fun to watch them interact and to check out their freshly painted home. They are playful and inquisitive.

We will raise the male for meat, and breed the two females in the Spring.