Our History

The Good Earth Farm School was founded by Leslie Castaneda. Having worked with children as both a teacher and administrator in early childhood education at a Montessori-inspired school, two non-profit schools, a corporate-owned school, and finally a large family-owned preschool, Leslie came away with a strong belief that what children (including her own) really need is a place to experience nature and to participate in school “family” life. The environment must be one where the school rhythm and people are familiar and predictable to the young children it serves. This recognition was supported by what Leslie and her family witnessed in her oldest daughter’s year spent at the Richmond Waldorf School.

In 2006, The Good Earth Farm School got its start as an in-home licensed program that grew to serve 12 children. In January 2008, Leslie’s sister Janie began working with her at the school. In November 2008, with the help of a family friend, the school moved to its current location and became a small licensed child care center.

All of our classrooms are thoughtfully decorated and are full of beautiful open-end materials that are unique to our educational philosophy. We are fortunate to have a large, amply shaded play yard and small farm animals adjacent to our play yard for both hands-on care and observation. We provide a morning snack, a homemade lunch, and a healthy afternoon snack. Local and organic ingredients, as well as whole grains, are used as much as possible. In a world of “big box” schools and stores, we offer a personalized preschool experience as unique as our beloved Austin.

The Good Earth Farm School is proud to offer an exceptional child development program to our neighbors in North Austin, Cedar Park, Austin, Leander, Liberty Hill, Round Rock, Georgetown and beyond. Our school is located on a small urban farm in Leander, TX. With just one visit, we think you will have found a peaceful, engaging, and creative place for your child to spend his or her days! We take inspiration from Lifeways North America and Waldorf curriculum and philosophies, where it is paramount that early childhood education must address the whole child–not just attempt to stuff him or her full of academic knowledge at a young age.