The first animals on the farm were chickens. Our program was modeled on Joel Salatin’s Pastured Poultry Products, which advocated moving chickens through pastures by means of “chicken tractors.” Over the years different models of chicken tractors were designed and built by the students and Joel Salatin even visited our school!

Very early on the students built greenhouses to expand their growing season. We acquired two Belgian draft horses to help with the heavy work on the farm and had successive teams: Colonel and Bess; Chuck and Charlie.

Second Bloom Dairy (Deb Wood) gifted us with a La Mancha goat, Ivy, who stole student’s hearts and provided endless amusement. The students chose to expand the herd, remodeled an old trailer to create a milk parlor and cheesemaking facility.

The farmhouse was remodeled in 2020 to create a bakery, creamery and larger commercial kitchen. It allowed us to expand our line of local and artisanal products such as breads, bagels and a wider variety of cheeses.

At the same time, we transformed a large garage into a bright, expansive classroom, it was a long but rewarding project, giving the students ample space and flexibility for a variety of activities, from science experiments to art projects.

Shortly after we were settled in, we acquired our first Jersey cows, rescuing them from a factory-like existence in Dalhart, Texas, to a life in green pastures, cared for by people, not machines.

The next phase of development for our “Work and Study” center is the ongoing construction of a facility to accommodate both students and adults during overnight stays. This enables Camino de Paz to operate in the summers as an AMI training facility for middle and high school teachers and to host workshops and classes that focus on the farm’s operations for adults and school groups.