Peace.

That is what Heartland Farm offers, well, among many other things.

The non-profit organization in the far southeast corner of Rush Couty, about 14 miles west of Great Bend.

“This place allows you to be one with nature,” Brittany Robinstine, director of Heartland Farm said. “We have three miles of walking trials where you can come and just tune out and enjoy nature.”

It was started in 1987 as a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. It was established during the agriculture crisis of the ’80s. The goal was to demonstrate ecological stewardship, simple living, and holistic wellness.

While the Dominican Sisters of Peace Convent will be shut down at the end of the year, the farm itself will not be affected.

“It was started as a way to teach people how to care for the earth,” Robinstine said. “We are stewards of the land. We promote a lot of rotational grazing with alpacas and chickens.”

The alpacas are perhaps what the farm is most well-known for. They are Huacaya Alpacas. They have a “teddy bear” appearance. The alpacas were intentionally chosen due to their gentleness – a theme for the farm.

Huacaya Alpacas have padded hooves instead of hard hooves and graze without uprooting the plants.

It is those alpacas that are often the stars of the many field trips they get from area schools.

“We have several field trips with schools but we would like to have more of them,” Robinstine said.

The field trips are for pre-K to high school students. You can choose what activities you want and design your custom field trip that works for the classes you are teaching or the age of students you are bringing.

While the field trips are a big part of the farm, Heartland Farm holds events every month.

“We try to have at least one event a month,” Robinstine said. “This month we have two. We have one this Saturday and later in the month as well.”

In fact, the “Under the Stars” fundraiser is set for tonight. The cost is $15 per person. It includes a cookout, a program by Professor Sherry Curtis Rogers from Dodge City Community College, discussing the Perseid meteor shower and the night sky as the meteor shower takes place.

Attendees are welcome to bring their own telescope or use the one on site. Also a blanket or chair is recommended to bring along.

At the end of August there is a “Culinary and Medicinal Herbs” event with Sister Imelda Schmidt.

A big fundraiser is set for September as Heartland Farm presents “Farm to Table.” The event is based on home-cooked meals fresh from the farm, in-season produce as well as ingredients from other local farms.

Of course it comes with meeting the alpacas as well as a tour of the gardens and a silent auction.

Another event coming in September is a “Power Tools for Women” class that Sister Jane Belanger will hold.

“Sister Jane has been wanting to do this for a while,” Robinstine said. “She also wants to have an automotive class for women as well.”

Sister Jane was the director of Heartland Farm for several years before her retirement last November. Despite her stepping away from the director role, she is still very active in the farm.

Since taking over for Sister Jane, Robinstine is making some small adjustments to some things.

“We want to use more of my skills to teach about sustainable composting and some other eco-friendly practices,” Robinstine said.

She pointed out that rotational grazing with the alpaca and chickens as a way they are maintaining their goal to be stewards of the land.

They use as many organic methods to manage all of their gardens, including composting from what they can get right there on the farm from the animals. In all, the farm uses three different types of compost.

The facility also has an Art building where you can do pottery, paintings and fiber art. There is a high tunnel which allows for growing year-round.

There is a gift shop on site as well that has farm-fresh eggs, jams and other natural products. The farm is open from 8:30 am-5 pm on Monday through Saturday, but an overnight stay is available.

Heartland Farm has a guest house you can rent for a stay and they are currently renovating a cottage for use in the future.

“Ecospirituality, mindfulness and meditation,” Robinstine said. “That is what we offer.”