Meet the Farmer and Teacher Behind Lost Pines Farm Camp
If you’ve been looking at Lost Pines Farm Camp and wondering “Who exactly is running this?” — that’s a fair question.
My name is Amanda Brantley. Some people in the education world call me Dr. Brantley, since I hold a doctorate in educational leadership. Around the farm, though, I’m just Amanda — the one feeding chickens, walking pigs, and making sure everything is running the way it should.
Lost Pines Poultry Farm officially became a business in early 2025, but my connection to agriculture goes back much further than that. I grew up surrounded by people who believed deeply in raising animals well and producing food with care. My paternal grandfather raised meat and egg chickens for decades, and my maternal grandfather raised bobwhite quail and cattle. For them, farming wasn’t a hobby or a trend — it was simply part of life.
Those experiences shaped how I think about food, animals, and community.
From Agriculture Teacher to Farm Educator
My professional life has always revolved around education and agriculture.
I graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education and spent many years teaching agriculture science courses such as animal science, plant science, and floral design. During college I also worked as a camp counselor and program assistant at the Texas 4-H Center, and I helped teach elementary students about healthy living through the 4-H Health Rocks program.
Over time, my career expanded into broader leadership roles in education. I earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and later a Doctorate in Education Administration. I served in district and state leadership roles in Career and Technical Education, coached campus principals on leadership and instruction, and oversaw elementary and secondary summer school programs.
I’m also state-certified to teach elementary grades, agriculture, speech, life science, and English, and I’ve spent my career working with students from elementary school all the way through high school.
But no matter where my career went, agriculture was always at the center of it.
Why We Started the Farm
Lost Pines Poultry Farm began in a very personal way — through a 4-H project with my kids.
Working through that project together reminded me how powerful hands-on agriculture can be for kids. The time we spent caring for animals, learning responsibility, and understanding where food actually comes from was meaningful in a way that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.
At the same time, I wanted to provide high-quality, clean meat for my own family. That goal naturally expanded into raising food for other families in our community as well.
Today our farm focuses on raising meat chickens, laying hens, and pigs.
A typical day involves feeding animals, refreshing water, collecting eggs, monitoring animal health, giving the chickens treats, and walking the pigs so they stay calm and accustomed to people. Farming requires constant observation and care, and over time you learn to read animals in a way that’s difficult to teach from a textbook.
One moment that really stood out to me was watching my daughter work with her pigs. After spending so much time caring for them, she seemed to intuitively understand what they needed — even adjusting feed rations simply by observing their behavior and condition. That kind of learning happens through experience, patience, and responsibility.
The Philosophy Behind Farm Camp
My approach to teaching agriculture is summed up well by the FFA motto:
“Learning to do, doing to learn.”
Children learn best when they are actively involved, and agriculture provides the perfect environment for that kind of learning. At Lost Pines Farm Camp, kids aren’t just hearing about farming — they are participating in it.
Camp is taught by certified teachers using nationally vetted agriculture curriculum, but the experience is intentionally hands-on and engaging.
During camp, students will:
Candle eggs to see what is happening inside developing eggs
Help care for chickens and pigs
Learn basic animal handling and observation
Complete take-home projects connected to daily lessons
Every activity is supervised, safe, and designed for learning, but it is also meant to be fun and memorable.
Why Agriculture Experiences Matter for Kids Today
Many children today grow up far removed from the systems that produce their food. Agriculture education helps reconnect young people to that reality.
When kids understand how animals are raised and how food is produced, they begin to appreciate the work, responsibility, and science involved. More importantly, they start to see that agriculture is something they could be part of.
The future of our food system depends on the next generation of producers, caretakers, and agricultural leaders.
Experiences like farm camp plant those seeds early.
A Camp Built for Learning and Community
Lost Pines Farm Camp is intentionally small and personal. Enrollment is limited so that students can work in small groups and have meaningful interactions with animals and instructors.
My own children will also be participating and helping demonstrate many of the tasks they regularly do on the farm, from egg candling to pig handling and daily chores.
The camp takes place at the Ken Estepp Show Barn and Classroom at Mayfest Park in Bastrop, a place that holds special meaning for me personally. I was raised in Bastrop, graduated from Bastrop High School, opened the agriculture program as the first teacher at Cedar Creek High School, and later served as the district’s Career and Technical Education Director.
I also spent many years serving on the local livestock show board, including time as an officer and helping maintain a buyers group for the youth livestock auction.
Agriculture has always been part of this community, and this camp is one small way to continue that tradition.
A Different Kind of Summer Camp
There are many great summer camps available, but Lost Pines Farm Camp offers something unique.
Students won’t just be entertained — they’ll learn practical skills, interact with real livestock, and experience agriculture in a hands-on way. The lessons are memorable because they involve real responsibility and real discovery.
And for many kids, it may be their first glimpse into a world they didn’t even know existed.
Join Us at Lost Pines Farm Camp
If your child is curious about animals, interested in how food is produced, or simply loves hands-on learning, Lost Pines Farm Camp may be the perfect experience.
We keep enrollment intentionally small so that every student has the chance to participate fully.
You can learn more and register here.
I look forward to meeting your family and introducing the next generation to the world of agriculture.