Established as a family owned farm more than 200 years ago, Prescott Farm today provides year round environmental education and outdoor recreation opportunities to individuals and families of all ages.

“We are a hidden gem in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire,” said Kimberly Drouin, Office and Communication Manager for the Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (PFEEC), located at 128 White Oaks Road in Laconia, NH. 

Staying true to the farm’s agricultural roots, the PFEEC offers some unique and fun ways to get involved in the local food movement. 

“Maple Madness is one our most popular programs,” according to Drouin. “For the entire month of March, we host school groups during the week and adults and families on weekends to spend an hour to an hour and a half learning how to tap maple trees and make maple syrup. WMUR has come and covered it.”

One particularly earthy exhibit demonstrates how to use worms to transform everything from leftover food to unbleached paper towels into nutrient rich compost, a process known as vermiculture, or worm composting. Popular workshops themes include soap making and green house cleaning using natural, nontoxic products.

Prescott Farm is named after Colonol Dudley Prescott, who acquired the land in 1796 and 1797 after serving in the Revolutionary War at the age of 19 as a member of the 10^th Regiment New Hampshire Militia. Today, the PFEEC is at the forefront of a very different kind of revolution, the one in green building. 

Visitors can take a green tour of the Samual P. Pardoe Building, constructed in 2005 using locally and regionally sourced wood. The structure features a geothermal heating and cooling systems, as well as solar panels that meet close to half the building’s energy needs. It also incorporates green building technologies that may be unfamiliar to many, such as slate floors that store heat from the sun during the day.

“We refer to it as the ‘Green Building of the 21^st Century’ because of all the green features,” said Drouin. “People can see all the different parts of the building and how they’re green.”

With over 160 acres of conservation land and trails to wander, visitors may not want to spend too much time inside though.

“I’ve seen bobcats, baby foxes, deer, wild turkeys,” Drouin said. “It’s free to come and hike or snowshoe around. Winter programs like our full moon snowshoe hikes are popular because there’s not a lot else to do around here this time of year.”

Kids attending one of PFEEC’s recent Wildquest Camps even discovered an active bobcat den.

“The kids went out with one of our environmental educators, did some tracking and ended up finding the den,” Drouin recalled. “I haven't seen them myself in person, but I have seen the tracks their tracks. We have caught them on the motion camera and have those pictures at the Center for visitors to view."

We ended up going back to set up an active motion camera and captured pictures of the bobcat. We have a bunch of those pictures here.”

Nine week long summer camps offer kids the chance to spend part of their summer vacation learning about New Hampshire’s natural environment in a healthy, fun, and noncompetitive atmosphere. 

“We have a lot of families around here looking for affordable events and we try to provide that,” Drouin said. “There is a lot of interest. Our latest Harvest Festival drew in over 900 people, which was pretty exciting. We had horse drawn hayrides and barn dances. Everyone had a wonderful time.”

“Winterfest is definitely something for the whole community,” she added. The event is scheduled for February 18 from 11:00 to 3:00 PM and will feature sledding, snowshoeing, face painting, sleigh rides, crafts, a bake sale, and a silent auction, all topped off with a bonfire and s’mores.

“Definitely bring the kids,” Drouin said.

Word of mouth has played a big role in PFEEC’s success.

“Once people come here, that’s all it takes,” as Drouin put it. “Then they tell others.” 

Green Alliance members save 10% on all PFEEC gear, including tote bags, t-shirts and card sets. Plus, receive the PFEEC membership rate for all programs, excluding WildQuest Camps. Make sure and bring your Green Card!

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