Asheville Farmstead School - Candler, North Carolina

Anna F.

We feel like the luckiest parents to have our son and family be apart of this community. Lauren is one of the most incredible educators I have ever met. Our son has blossomed while being a student here and we look forward to his 3rd year this fall. Highly recommend for any child and for any parents who wants their children to find a LOVE for learning! Being here has made us better parents and has given us such a tremendous sense of “family” outside of family. We can’t express the gratitude we have towards Lauren, all the staff & to the Asheville Farmstead School.

Stephanie K.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience at Asheville Farmstead School. When trying to decide where our adventurous 3 year old should go for preschool, we knew from our first visit this was the place for her. She has thrived as a Sprout and most recently as a Littlest Learner. She is now 5 and has learned all kinds of things about nature, kindness, math(!) and community. AFS has been such a great experience for our daughter and for us as first time parents navigating what we want her childhood to look like. Highly recommend!

Liz D.

Our four year old spent two awesome weeks of summer camp at Asheville Farmstead. From the first day to the last, I loved seeing her walk up the stone path confidently (and sometimes not so confidently) to join the group and start her day. She has grown so much in her time here. She loved the teachers and nugget!

Anna T.

My son did Farmstead for two years. I had many doubts and fears around doing a non traditional route for his schooling before the age of seven. I had read a lot of research that supports the benefits of a non traditional school setting (particularly for boys) and I stuck to my intuition and prioritized play based outdoor learning. My child caught up to the reading level to his peers, and is excelling in math. Also, now that he is ready to learn his fine motorskills such as handwriting is coming as a breeze too! He has great handwriting and I attribute that to outdoor play too!

He has a passion and excitement for learning that sustains him to be self-motivated and interested in learning beyond what is required. I believe this is because he didn't have to have that stress in his very young years that traditional school often imposes on children. His body just wanted to play, move and explore the outdoors and that's what Farmstead supported! Now that his brain is ready to learn (at the age of 7), he is thriving! Thank you for supporting me Farmstead to not push him too much and just to let him be a kid!!

Martha T.

Asheville Farmstead School is truly a gem! The drive is absolutely worth it to be part of such a special program. The location is stunning, with beautiful natural surroundings that the kids get to explore and enjoy every day. The teachers are incredible—kind, compassionate, and truly invested in each
child's emotional growth and well-being. They create a nurturing environment where kids feel safe to be themselves and learn through hands-on experiences. I can't say enough good things about this place— Highly recommend!

Hannah P.

Asheville Farmstead holds such a special place in our family’s hearts. Our son has spent two academic years here, from age three to five, as well as two wonderful summer camp seasons at the Farmstead. It’s difficult to wrap up such a wonderful community and environment that has fostered such joy and development in a single review, but by and large, Asheville Farmstead is a beautiful space that encourages and celebrates a child’s innate curiosities and creativity while focusing on their autonomy. Before attending the Farmstead, I had a very limited support circle, and my son and I had no experience being apart. My reservations and anxieties about having others look after my child completely dissipated after visiting the Farmstead. Over the years, the school has become a source of inspiration in how I show up as a parent. I have taken advantage of joining Lauren’s wonderful Positive Discipline class every year my son has been enrolled, meeting with other parents monthly who are on a similar parenting journey. It’s very evident that the teachers are committed to communicating and connecting in a positive and respectful way with each child. I truly couldn’t ask for more from caregivers for my son. Thanks to my son’s time at the Farmstead, he has learned beautiful social/connection skills, he has developed a deeply genuine love for Mother Earth, and has developed a wonderful foundation of self-love, self-respect, and self-esteem that he will carry with him. Thank you, Asheville Farmstead, for all of the love, the support, encouragement, and joyful moments. We recommend the Farmstead to any and every family ten times over!

Lara G.

This is the ONLY place in the entire state of NC that I would trust to put my child, after years of research on the best schools this is the only one that even comes close to meeting the demands. My son has been thriving here.

jentrinque

We had a great experience at Farmstead. My daughter attended this school starting at age four and was happy and thriving there for her many years in their various programs. The teachers and owner are kind and compassionate, the setting is great for a kid who loves the outdoors, and we formed some wonderful friendships with other families. If you want your child to be in an outdoor setting with flowers and chickens and trees and joy, this is the place for you.