The Farm
Connecting Children & Families to Animals & Agriculture
Maybury Farm has been a landmark in the community for over 100 years and continues to be a wonderful destination for children and families to experience the joy and wonder of animals, agriculture, farmland and forests. It's where you and your family can experience true farm life without ever leaving Northville!
Maybury Farm is a working farm with a mission to connect the community to animals and agriculture through hands-on experiences that are both engaging and educational. Situated on 85 acres of farmland and forest, the opportunities to enjoy and learn about Michigan farming, agriculture and habitats are endless!
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On the Farm we care for dozens of farm animals that provide opportunities to educate kids about the role animals play in providing food and fiber. We also cultivate an educational farm garden full of fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers.
We have a farm-themed playground, large picnic area, and a General Store with delicious snacks and gifts including honey from our own Maybury Farm honeybee hives, fresh eggs from our chickens, roving from our sheep and other Michigan-made products including maple syrup.
Maybury Farm offers educational tours that are enjoyed by thousands of children from all over Southeast Michigan every year. Our tours are designed to integrate with Michigan science standards (but don't tell the kids - they'll have such fun with ​hands-on experiences that they won't even realize we're giving them a science lesson!). Throughout the year, the farm offers a variety of events and activities for people of all ages. From our Sap to Syrup tours in March, Eggstravaganza in April, our summer and fall festivals, camps and classes, all the way through to Santa's visit in December, there is always an exciting event to look forward to at Maybury Farm!
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We appreciate your support of Maybury Farm. Join us this season and grow with us!
Maybury Farm is operated by the Northville Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.The Farm receives no tax dollars to operate and relies on the support and generosity of our guests, donors, and corporate sponsors to operate and provide quality educational programming and engaging events for families.
Our Purpose
Our Mission
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Our mission is to educate children and families in our surrounding communities about the animals and agriculture that are essential to a traditional Michigan-based working farm, through hands-on experiences that are both engaging and educational. We work to create an awareness and appreciation of the animals and land that provide much of the food, fiber, and other resources that are utilized and consumed and expand knowledge and awareness of agriculture and its vast and vital role in our world.
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Our Vision
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We seek to cultivate attitudes of care, conservation, and cooperation in those who visit the farm in an effort to help those in our communities become more thoughtful consumers. We hope the children who visit the farm and engage with its animals, agriculture, fields, and forests will walk away with knowledge and, most importantly, inspiration. We hope to inspire in children a desire to be intentional in how they interact with people, animals, and the land. We further hope that the habits they create and the vocations they choose will have a positive impact on the world around them.
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Our Values
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Respect, Kindness & Gratitude.
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Our Goals
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Our educational farm tours are an opportunity for our educators to engage directly with children in order to:
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Make the farm a center of place-based education that creates opportunities for multi-disciplinary learning and growth in core competencies within the context of the farm setting
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Help children to grow their skills in observation, inquiry, investigation, experimentation
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Expand childrens' understanding of the farm and its role in their lives
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Highlight the interdependence that land, animals, and communities have with one another​
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Stimulate thinking about their habits and their relationships to the food and fiber they consume as well as the land and animals that provide it
Our History
The Beginning
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NCF HISTORY
The Northville Community Foundation (NCF) was founded on July 2, 1997, in response to the city's growing community and it's need for a vehicle that would look forward and work to endow funds for the enhancement of its residents for years to come.
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The Foundation's first task was a request by the Northville Township board of Trustees to host their 1998 Centennial Year Celebration including Opening Ceremonies, the publication of two books - Northville Township...From the Beginning, documenting its history and Recipies & Remembrances, a community cookbook, as well as the Closing Ceremonies. In addition, a Dinner Dance and Auction raised funds to begin funding endowments for the NCF.
THE FOUNDATION TODAY
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The Northville Community Foundation expanded its fundraising that same year with its annual Holiday Home Tour. The event kicks off the holiday season in Northville, and features five privately owned homes that are professionally decorated for the holidays. Today, the tour continues to be extremely popular, selling out each year.
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In addition, the Foundation annually awards scholarships to students and grants to nonprofit organizations and projects that help make our community a better place in which to live, learn and work. The work of the Northville Community Foundation would not be possible without the support of our donors and Corporate Partners.
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A Vital Connection
NCF & MAYBURY FARM
Maybury Farm and the Northville Community Foundation were brought together in 2003, a continuation of the NCF's mission to support the community just 6 years earlier.
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The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the original owners of Maybury Farm, divested itself of all activities and closed the farm to focus on the state park. As the Farm was a much loved and often enjoyed part of the community, the NCF answered the call and opened negotiations to consider taking over the operations of Maybury Farm in January of 2003.
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In mid-February of 2003, while the farm was still under the care of the DNR, the unthinkable happened – a fire of undetermined origin destroyed the barns and everything in them. Adding to this devastating loss, the State found itself without insurance dollars to rebuild. Although the task to rebuild was enormous, the Northville Community Foundation decided to continue and moved forward. Through the steadfast efforts of the Foundation's Board and the DNR, an agreement was reached and the Foundation took over the rebuilding and operations of Maybury Farm on November 1, 2003. The NCF envisioned the farm's future as an educational opportunity for children throughout southeast Michigan to visit and learn, to connect with animals and agriculture.
In January 2004, the search began for "just the right barns" to replace those lost in the fire. New barn designs were considered, but the NCF thought that the preservation and refurbishment of existing barns would be more in keeping with the authenticity and heritage of the original farm. The Barn Committee selected 100 year-old barns donated from a property in Novi, now known as the Island Lakes subdivision. The exterior and interior details of the historic barns felt right for the farm, and, thanks to the efforts of the Novi City Council and Toll Brothers, the barns began their journey. On August 7, 2005, the barns were moved as they stood – 40' tall and as wide as the two lane roads and shoulders – 4 miles from Novi to Maybury Farm.
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Since that day, hundreds of individual and family donors as well as over 100 corporations, stepped up to help the Northville Community Foundation rebuild Maybury Farm. As the NCF received no tax dollars to rebuild, the effort required hundreds of volunteers. Ford Philanthropy was a major donor of manpower and expertise. Because of the outpouring of support from both individual and corporate donors from over 23 communities, the rebuilding of Maybury Farm was possible.
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On September 20, 2005, the Northville Community Foundation re-opened Maybury Farm. Staying true to the Foundation's mission, this working farm continues to offer educational programs and activities for all ages, connecting children and families to animals and agriculture.
To learn more about the history of Maybury Farm, check out our historic timeline.
The Board
Matt Kosmowski, Chair
Sales Manager, General RV Center
Andrea Daniels-Hacker, Treasurer
Branch Manager, Community Financial Credit Union
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Julie Van Ameyde, Secretary
President, Simply Social Media
Diana Wallace
NCF Executive Director
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To contact the board of directors, please email board@mayburyfarm.org
​Lauren Potocsky
Varnum LLP
Chris Roosen
Program Manager, Avon Automotive
