CherryHill Education Visits
Why CherryHill?
CherryHill Orchards offers engaging, curriculum aligned education visits that connect primary school students with where food comes from through real world, hands-on experiences on a working orchard.
Guided by our growers, students explore the cherry growing cycle, the role of nature in food production, and the importance of seasonal and sustainable farming.
Our programs are designed to be age appropriate, engaging, and easy for schools to integrate into classroom learning before and after the visit.
About Cherry Season
Cherry Season: November – January
CherryHill is home to two orchards nestled in Victoria’s stunning Yarra Valley, just an hour’s drive from Melbourne’s CBD. It’s the perfect day trip for an authentic orchard experience, where you can discover the full growing lifecycle of cherries, one of Australia’s most-loved summer fruits.
Cherry season runs from mid-November through early January, making it a wonderful outing to enjoy before the summer holidays begin.
Program Overview
Little Farmers
Prep – Grade 2 (ages 5 – 8)
Discovering where food comes from
Orchard Explorers
Grade 3 – 4 (ages 8 – 10)
Plants, Pollination & Growing Food
Food & Farming Futures
Grade 5 – 6 (ages 11 – 12)
Understand The Future of Farming
Little Farmers
Discovering Where Food Comes From
Best suited to: Prep – Grade 2 (Ages 5–8)
Duration: 60–75 minutes
The program begins with a warm welcome and farm safety briefing before students meet one of our growers and discover what it takes to run a working cherry orchard. They’ll learn how cherry trees grow through the seasons, explore the important role of bees in pollination, and watch a demonstration on how to pick cherries like a pro.
Students will then enjoy picking their own cherries, with each child taking home a 500g box of their harvest, before wrapping up with a fun group reflection on what they’ve learned.
Orchard Explorers
Plants, Pollination & Growing Food
Best suited to: Grade 3–4 (Ages 8–10)
Duration: 75–90 minutes
The program begins with a welcome and working farm safety briefing before students meet one of our growers to discover how cherries are grown across the seasons. They’ll explore the cherry life cycle, from winter dormancy and spring blossoms to bee pollination, summer fruit growth and harvest, while learning how ripeness, colour and sugar create the perfect cherry.
After a demonstration on sustainable cherry picking, students will pick their own cherries to fill a 500g take-home box before putting their new knowledge to the test with a fun interactive orchard quiz and group discussion.
Food & Farming Futures
Understand The Future of Farming
Best suited to: Grade 5–6 (Ages 10–12)
Duration: 90–120 minutes
The program begins with a commercial orchard safety briefing before students meet one of our growers to learn how a productive orchard is managed throughout the year. They’ll explore the full cherry growing cycle, from dormancy and pollination to harvest timing and quality control, before seeing a live Brix (sugar) testing demonstration using a refractometer to measure cherry ripeness.
Students will also discover how sustainable farming practices support healthy food systems, enjoy a hands-on cherry picking experience with a 500g take-home box, and finish by reflecting on the journey of fresh food from orchard to consumer.