Welcome to Stratford Ecological Center
The Stratford Ecological Center is a non-profit educational organic farm and nature preserve on 236 acres in Delaware County, Ohio. Visitors are welcome to explore the land, hike the 4 miles of nature trails, visit the livestock, tour the gardens and greenhouses or explore the creek, pond, prairie, swamps or State Nature Preserve. Farm products are available for sale seasonally, based on availability.
Stratford offers workshops and classes for children and adults, annual festivals, farm tours, school tours, farm camp and family programs.
Stratford is open to public: Monday – Friday: 9am – 5pm
Closed: Weekends and Holidays
Public
Programs & Events
Register opening soon!
Farm Camp 2019
We are going back to “snail mail” for 2019 camp registration. Registrations will be accepted postmarked beginning January 12th, via postal mail only.
We cannot accept registrations by phone, email or in person.
We cannot accept registrations postmarked prior to January 12.
Please visit our Farm Camp webpage for full camp details and registration application>
Stratford Recognized for Going Green
Stratford was awarded Keep Delaware County Beautiful’s Going Green Award, thanks to our intiative to go green by going solar powered in 2018. Thirteen awards were presented to community members, organizations and businesses at the December 13th program. Many thanks to Keep Delaware County Beautiful, the Delaware General Health District, and especially our supporters for helping us go solar!
Stratford Staff Gives Back to the Community!
Our staff team helped Delaware People In Need prepare for their annual PIN Clearing House. Thanks to People in Need, Inc. for providing such an awesome service to the community.
You can Give the Gift That Keeps on Giving by sending a donation directly to Stratford Ecological Center’s 2019 Giving Garden Fund, providing organic produce to the PIN Food Bank!
Your kind heart for helping us help others makes our community a better place. Thank you for making such an impact in the lives of many right here in our own community.
Note: Write Giving Garden on your check or website comment box.
Farm Market
*Grass fed lamb. Individual cuts, halves & wholes. Please call ahead for halves/wholes!
*Ground pork and both hot and sweet Italian sausage!
*Pick your own produce in the greenhouse! A variety of lettuces, parsley and cilantro currently available. Greens are $4/lb!
*Local Latshaw Honey and Stratford Honey!
*Spotted Salamander handmade soap!
Stratford is Now Solar!
video by Above the Light Photography
Sunbeam – Donation of $200 (1 panel)
Power Ranger – Donation of $1,000 (5 panels)
Solar Supreme – Any donation of $1,000
Donate on-line!
Please indicate in “Comments” how to apply your donation.
More to Read about Stratford’s Historic Cemetery
Video Clip from the Latest Probing Volunteer Effort
Stratford Cemetery: Geographic Survey Results
“Historic Cemetery to Undergo Radar Mapping”
“Cemetery Survey Commences”
Watch a compilation of video clips:
Geophysical Survey process at Stratford>
Support Stratford When you Shop!
Thank you to our community
supporters and partners!
What Stratford is All About
video by Above the Light Photography
Volunteer Corner!
*Maple Sugar Guides – Lead tours through the sugar bush, exploring the maple syrup process from tree to tasting. This will begin in February. No experience necessary, we will train you!
*Garden & Greenhouse Helpers – Garden workdays are every Tuesday from 9:30am-12:30pm. Help water, weed and harvest the produce in our gardens and greenhouses.
*Front Desk – Spend a few hours a week assisting with office duties and welcoming visitors to Stratford. This is a great opportunity to learn all about Stratford and help on the farm! Stratford has openings within 9am-5pm on weekdays and, beginning in February, Saturdays from 9am-1pm.
For details, contact Emily at emily@stratfordecologicalcenter.org
When the temperatures dip this low staying inside and keeping warm is important, especially if you are a honey bee colony! One of the most frequent questions asked about bees this time of year is, “what do the bees do in the winter?”… This photo, taken with a thermal imaging camera, can help to answer that question. The bee colony clusters up inside the hive and they vibrate their flight muscles, fueled by the honey that they collected through the summer, to generate heat to say warm. It is kind of similar to how we rub our hands together to warm them up. The colony can maintain a cluster temperature between 85 and 95 degrees F inside the hive, even on a day as cold as today! Can you spot where the cluster of bees is in this hive?
Registration for our Beekeeping Classes will be open soon! Make sure to check our website and contact our Apiarist, Dave Noble, if you have any questions!
Dave Noble are ya playing with your heat sensing phone camera thingy??? Good hive! Very nice!! Hope they hang in there!!!
Camille Warren Ellie probably already knows this but I thought it was fascinating!
That's crazy!!!
Carrie Boergert Link 🐝
Amazing!
Very cool!
Ben Wojtseck
Sherri Wilson
Super cool Tania DeKiewiet