Freebird Farm: A Homeschool Agriculture Education Class

One of the most wonderful parts of my childhood was the time I spent at Freebird Farm located in Fayetteville, Georgia. You don’t meet many people who can say they are able to milk a goat. Well, here I am, and I learned how from Holly Longino. Holly has raised animals her whole life. For her first wedding anniversary, her husband gifted her two goats. Now, she has a full time educational farm. In 2011, she began teaching classes for homeschool students to educate them on farm life. She has several classes each week for kindergarten through 7th grade. This safe haven is a great place for kids to learn about animals, the life cycle, farming, entrepreneurship, engineering, basic skills, while helping them develop life skills. 

For this article, Joni and I visited Freebird, where we spoke with and interviewed Holly about the program and what it teaches. One thing she mentioned was how it teaches children entrepreneurship. “A lot of kids have ended up doing entrepreneurial things, because we talk about finances, reasons why, business decisions, risk and liability.” Being able to sustain a business is no easy task. The kids who attend the classes get to see firsthand how cost and prices affect the profit of the farm. This is an extremely important life skill that young children need to be exposed to. 

   One thing Holly mentioned that stuck with me was how her students handle difficult life lessons. "When Covid hit, I feel like my students handled  it very well. They were like, ‘bad stuff happens, and you can’t control it.’ They pivoted very well, my students and former students,” —Holly. Her students adapt, but they also understand the circle of life and how that relates to a farm. 

   Farm life is not all precious baby goats and sunny days. Animals get sold and unfortunately sometimes pass away. I remember it being explained in an excellent way by Holly when I was a kid. It prepared me for the world. As she puts it, she teaches the children to “Respect their emotions, but not lead with them.” 

    Another aspect of farm life includes engineering skills and problem solving. At Freebird, students have the opportunity to design and invent functioning feeding and watering systems for the animals. They also test their problem solving skills from securing the property to prepping for weather. Children take these skills on with them, so they can make their lives more efficient. It also teaches common sense and promotes out of the box thinking. 

 (Find and insert photo of system created by children) 

    Regarding her youngest students, Holly said, “I have noticed that learning impulse control- if they (children) act impulsively the animal runs away. If they are still and have some peace to them, the animal will come. Using the animals to teach developmental concepts is amazing!” Educating children with the use of animals in a fun and safe way is engaging and will create core memories. Adults understand how hard impulse control can be; imagine if your kid was able to develop patience and a sense of calm. 

Freebird Farm is a place where kids can learn life lessons and be around animals in a controlled environment. I treasure my days there, and I continue to use knowledge from Holly’s classes in my everyday life. If you are wanting to establish life-long memories and  knowledge for your children I highly recommend Freebird Farm. 

-Shelby Gwinn, February 2026 (I am featured holding a quail in the cover photo)