Today we’d like to introduce you to Brynn Kent Karen Hankins.
Brynn Kent, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Willow Hill was started the way most good things do; with kids, friendship, and a whole lot of heart. We found something we loved doing and knew we had to share it in our own way with the most amazing families and children you’ll ever meet.
We met when our oldest kids were in Pre-K together and we both attended their field trip. One of those moments where you strike up a conversation with another mom and just know “you’re my people”. Our kids became fast friends, and somehow we did too. We bonded over motherhood, the love for lake days, sports and love for our dogs and families. Over the years, it evolved into our love for tractor rides, cows, chickens and muddy boots! It was easy for us to love kids fiercely and share the belief that childhood should be full of wonder and the importance of playing outside, fearless and free! We weren’t the kind of moms who wanted the young years to rush by!
We were blessed with the opportunity to work together at a farm school in the area side by side, teaching kids outside, on a farm, no matter what the weather!. Letting learning happen naturally. Letting kids be kids. And when life shifted, as it tends to do, we found ourselves being asked by families we loved to keep going. To build something new. To keep that kind of childhood alive.
So we started praying, looking and planning! The “yellow farm house” kept finding its way in front of us, even though there were many moments we tried to walk away. The moment we drove onto the property, we knew. It wasn’t perfect. It didn’t need to be. It had space, quiet, old barns that needed love, and the kind of peace you don’t have to explain. We rebuilt barns. We brought in animals. We created trails, gathering spaces and a barnyard full of personalities. We built a place we wanted children to feel safe, known, and free! We wanted parents to feel welcome the second they pulled in the drive. In the end, it was the perfect farm and it’s now the wondrous Willow Hill.
Willow Hill is run like a family, because that’s what it is. We take care of one another and we can’t fully express the extent of how we were taken care of to get this thing started!!! From day one, we had Mom’s, Dad’s, Uncle’s, Grandma’s and Grandpa’s who were all stepping up. These families were volunteering their time and resources to make sure we saw this thing through and all they wanted was for the youth in our community to understand farm life and farm fun in return! It was like nothing we have ever experienced. It was the definition of generosity and support.
One of our first farm adventures was when we got baby cows on the 4th of July. Don’t ask us what we were thinking bringing new babies to the farm that night, but they got out, got lost and on July 5th when we realized they were missing. The entire neighborhood and farms for miles were all on the lookout and they made it home safely from a few miles away. Our faith in humanity was restored that very day and once again, we felt so thankful to be surrounded by amazing people and had no question we were building this dream right where it was meant to be.
Now a little about us. Miss Karen is a native Floridian who has become the best Midwest momma! She is the brains behind the beauty at Willow Hill and she constantly puts creativity in motion. A lifelong child-at-heart, former interior designer turned joyful home-maker, and mom to Mason, Corbin, and Emmie. She sees every child as a masterpiece in progress. She’s building obstacle courses, leading science experiments, celebrating bug discoveries like buried treasure, and jumping into puddles without hesitation. She meets kids exactly where they are—whether that means calm reassurance or full-speed joy.
Miss Brynn grew up in the small-town version of Raymore. She spent every season playing and exploring on her grandparents’ farm, surrounded by cousins, kittens, pigs, and every critter that wandered through. That love for animals and open land never left her. It simply grew alongside motherhood, when she became a mama to Brylee and Blake and realized that scraped knees, bating hooks with worms and playing outside for hours weren’t interruptions; they were a calling. She brings funny voices, imagination, patience, faith and a steady, comforting presence to everyone and everything on the farm.. She’s the one reading Bible stories by the fireplace, carrying tired kids when they need it, and gently setting them back down when it’s time to be brave.
Together, we balance each other. We dream together. We problem-solve together. We pray together and we believe with everything in us that childhood is sacred. We both believe in the importance of teaching kindness, responsibility, and courage in the most ordinary ways. Maybe it’s filling water buckets, closing gates, sharing tools, and helping a friend who’s feeling unsure. The hard work doesn’t feel as hard when you’re doing it together and the kids accomplish something every single day just by being part of the rhythm at Willow Hill.
We believe deeply in play-based learning with meaningful moments of enrichment woven in. We count and sort eggs. We cut grass and flowers with scissors. Sometimes that means paper projects inside, sometimes it means mud art outside. We learn responsibility by caring for animals, patience by waiting our turn and confidence by just trying even when something feels hard. You often hear us using the line “you can do hard things!”
We also laugh. A lot. If you hear us yell, “What time is it?” you’ll hear the kids scream back, “PARTY TIME!” like it’s the most obvious answer in the world. There are sayings, inside jokes, silly songs, and moments that don’t make it into lesson plans but somehow become the most memorable parts of the day.
The animals are a huge part of the magic and humor. Not just because they’re fun (because they definitely are), but because they teach respect, gentleness, and empathy in ways adults never could. The kids learn quickly that animals aren’t toys; they’re living beings who trust us to care for them. And the animals, in return, teach kids how to slow down, pay attention, and love something outside themselves. They are entertaining to say the least!
Willow Hill isn’t perfect all the time! It’s muddy. It’s loud. It smells like hay, cut flowers and sometimes manure. But, it’s full of life. When families arrive, they tell us the same thing over and over: It just feels magical here and that’s the greatest compliment we could ever receive.
This place was built with faith, friendship, and a lot of muddy boots. It’s a place where kids are allowed to be wild, curious, kind and free. Where parents become family. Where memories are made in the little things with the most incredible little people.
We feel incredibly blessed to be telling this story, together…… at Willow Hill.
Putting this into words took time—not because it was hard to say, but because it mattered so much to us. Willow Hill is deeply personal and we wanted to tell it in a way that felt true to our hearts. We do this work for the most special children and families you’ll ever meet and it was important that our story reflected that love, intention and care. Thank you for taking the time to read it and we look forward to working on this with you!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like anything worth building, Willow Hill has come with real challenges along the way.
One of the most obvious struggles has been the expense and the long hours. Creating and maintaining a safe, beautiful farm and school environment takes constant work. That work often starts before the sun comes up and long after the kids have gone home. Farming and caring for animals is only one piece. Lesson planning, parent communication and planning everything for the farm school is a never ending job when you care deeply about all children, their families, the animals and the land. The work is never really done.
The hardest challenge, though, has been losing animals. While this is a farm, the animals are not just livestock to us. They are part of our hearts and part of our classroom. We know their personalities. We know which child runs to which animal first each morning. We’re out in the rain, snow, and heat making sure they are fed, safe, and healthy. The kids name them, bond with them, and learn gentleness and empathy through them. Unfortunately, death is a natural and inevitable part of farming and it never gets easier. Each loss is felt deeply by us and often by the children too. Thankfully, it also becomes a tender, meaningful lesson about life, care, and love. The children are usually curious and it allows them to ask questions and find respect for the conversations.
Another ongoing challenge is wanting to serve everyone who reaches out to us and not being able to. We currently have a waitlist of over one hundred children and it continues to grow. Families want this experience for their children and saying “not yet” or “we don’t have space” is one of the hardest parts of what we do. Our space is limited and we’re committed to maintaining the quality, safety, and heart of the program rather than stretching beyond what we can do well.
We also navigate state regulations that were likely created with good intentions, limit how many families we can serve. In Missouri, we are restricted to four-hour sessions because fully licensed childcare programs cannot have children exposed to animal waste. While this guideline makes sense in many settings, it does impact farm-based programs like ours and means we cannot accommodate families who need full-day childcare, even when there is strong interest and demand.
Despite these struggles, we continue moving forward because we believe deeply in what we’re building. Every challenge has reinforced how much Willow Hill matters to us, to the children, and to the families who trust us with something so precious.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At Willow Hill Farm School, we provide a farm/nature-based, play-centered preschool experience rooted in strong early childhood education principles. Our program is designed to support the whole child socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. We accomplish this through hands-on learning that happens naturally in a real world environment.
Concepts like early math, problem-solving and self-confidence are naturally part of the activities we do such as caring for animals, exploring nature, working with tools and materials, listening to stories, climbing ladders and learning along side of children of several ages. Our approach is family-style learning. We have children ages 3-5 in the same class and they love helping and learning from one another.
What we are most proud of is building a school on a farm that people doubted and didn’t think could be done. Not to prove them wrong, but the pride that comes after what’s been accomplished through grit and determination. The program at Willow Hill is so desirable because we’re a school that provides a balance between structure and freedom. We intentionally slow the pace of childhood, allowing curiosity to lead while providing a safe, nurturing environment where children feel seen, supported and capable.
What sets Willow Hill apart is strong sense of belonging and sincere compassionate care we have for each child and family as well as the unique and welcoming farm we have turned into a school. The farm is our classroom, but the relationships and trust we build are what truly define our work.
What does success mean to you?
The farm is our classroom, but the relationships and trust we build are what truly define our success. Many of the families coming through our program have been with us for many years. We have taught 2 – 3 siblings from many of the families and they come back to visit, often! The parents remain in our lives, the children remain in our lives and the farm will be a place they want to come back and visit for many years to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://willowhillfarmco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowhillfarmschool?igsh=ZTRva2dlaDYyc2pw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willowhillfarmschool
