4-H Education Center at Auerfarm

Build lifelong connections and agriscience skills Farm to School is available for Pre-K and K-12 students Field trips are available for Pre-K and K-12 students Today’s 120-acre 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm, located in the southwest section of Bloomfield, Connecticut was deeded to the non-profit Connecticut 4-H Development Fund, Inc. in 1976. Known as the 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm, the farm is committed to engaging all ages in learning about farming, science, and the environment. The driving force for the long-term success of the farm was Beatrice Fox Auerbach.  Mrs. Auerbach achieved national prominence in the 1930’s as the first female president of a leading department store, G. Fox & Co. Her good business sense, humanitarian work practices and philanthropic ventures left a legacy from which people benefit today. She came to run the farm when her husband died in 1927, two years after buying the farm, she took leadership despite no knowledge of farming. For 40 years she managed the 230-acre Auerfarm with three production divisions: a dairy with 60 purebred Guernsey cows, poultry with more than 20,000 chickens and apples on more than 300 trees. Both the dairy barns and poultry houses were known for testing the latest technology. Milk was processed on the farm. Milk, eggs and other farm products were sold at the G. Fox Department Store. Nine homes on the property housed farm families and a dormitory housed seasonal employees. Dignitaries from throughout the country, including Eleanor Roosevelt, visited the farm and were impressed by the quality of crops and animal production. Farmers from abroad came to learn modern practices for use in their countries. Mrs. Auerbach also supported 4-H by sponsoring the statewide 4-H dress revue held at the department store. The Auerbach heirs recognized the value of 4-H and the positive experience the farm provided to the children who were involved in the apple project. This led to their decision in 1976 by the Schiro and Koopman families to give the farm to 4-H with an agreement to maintain the property as open space and provide a community resource where children and families learned about and enjoyed the ambiance of the farm. The immediate challenge in 1976, for a new non profit, was to renovate and preserve deteriorating structures while creating a plan to achieve the mission given them for the long term. People throughout all levels of the extended community banded together to make things happen. 4-H leaders and members, Seabees, CETA employees, Eagle Scouts, small businessmen, UConn interns and high school students rolled up their sleeves to empty and clean buildings, remove invasive plants, raze buildings, repair the road and paint outside structures. This legacy of community care for the farm continue as many organizations and businesses still donate hours to keep up the grounds. A standing committee of the Connecticut 4-H Development Fund, Inc. was established to develop a strategic plan and make decisions for day-to-day operations. Farm animals were purchased and a demonstration barn area was built. Raspberries, cornfields, hayfields Christmas trees, and a dwarf orchard were planted and the acres of pasture were fenced for farm animals. The Learning Center, the first classroom, was created from a renovation of the creamery and a small barn. It was dedicated on September 28, 1978 for the purpose of providing an agricultural- based education program for children. The 4-H Center also actively invited the local community and general public to learn about farming and to enjoy the farm. The 4-H Center has used the rich 40-year legacy of Beatrice Auerbach to create both a successful education program and an important community outreach effort. Today, the challenge is to expand on this success. Since 1976, hundreds of thousands of young people and family members have enjoyed informal visits to the Center for “pick your own crops,”  walked the farm roads, met the farm a