A PLACE FOR MAKERS, EXPLORERS, AND TINKERERS OF ALL TYPES Opening a small business includes risks and challenges, and Ruby Ranch is no different. Located near Pemberton, Minn., Ruby Ranch does not get a lot of drive by business. It is mostly seasonal—open from spring break through Halloween weekend. Yet, animal care and property maintenance responsibilities are year-round. And then, in its third year, COVID-19 hit. Ruby Ranch owner, Ashley Rehder (’09, ’11) chuckled, “Every year, my husband and I ask each other, ‘Well, are we going to do this again?’”
Together, they developed a concept of a classroom without walls and began looking for property. The Rehders wanted to engage kids in learning, provide a way for them to build and explore. Camps were always the model. The first year (2016-17) was full of construction and landscaping projects that transformed their 100-year-old farmstead into Ruby Ranch. The two biggest projects were adding a pond and turning the shed into an art studio with woodworking and ceramics. Ruby Ranch opened June 1, 2018.
A PASSION FOR EDUCATION AND A PARTNER WHO CHALLENGED ACTION
RUBY RANCH’S OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
After earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Ashley continued and earned a master’s in teaching and learning two years later. As she was finishing her thesis on the topic of what kids need to learn, the structure of the traditional classroom began to feel too restrictive. “I felt like I was doing everything wrong—kids need outdoor play, free exploration, unstructured time, time to play with their hands. Even kindergarten is so structured,” she said. “I felt like I wasn’t doing those things in my classroom. “My husband [Nickolas ’11, mechanical engineering] doesn’t let me complain. He is a doer. He asked me, ‘What are you going to do about it? How are you going to change it?’” She was working as a kindergarten teacher, balancing caring for her 1-year-old daughter, and finishing her master’s in education—not exactly a layabout. However, she began brainstorming. 6 /
Educate
Hands-on, interactive learning is the cornerstone of all Ruby Ranch lesson plans. Camp topics are as diverse as the campers and have included bugs, bees, painting, woodworking, creek exploration, American history, ceramics, fizzing potions, farm animals, and cookies! When COVID-19 restrictions hit, the Rehders needed to change things up. Camps operated at 50 percent capacity and were one day camps only. Ashley developed an e-commerce site with DIY kits families could pick up and do at home. “That got us through April,” she said. But Ashley wanted people to come out to the farm, see and interact with the animals and the environment. The Rehders decided to bring their love of escape rooms to the farm. “My husband is an engineer. If I can think it up, he can design it,” she said. “We set up traps all over our property. Participants had to scan a QR code for the clues
