F&W History
Farm & Wilderness is a non-profit educational organization which, since 1973, has carried forward the traditions and programs begun in 1939 by the F&W co-founders, Kenneth and Susan Howard Webb.
Ken and Susan Webb came to camping through their interest in education. The Webbs were very much influenced by John Dewey and the progressive education movement. In 1939 they started Timberlake, a boy's camp on Woodward Reservoir, on a piece of abandoned farmland. It was not long before the families who had sons attending Timberlake wanted a similar camp for their daughters, so Indian Brook followed in 1941. As these boys and girls grew into teenagers, the idea of a co-ed work camp emerged, and in the early 1950's the Senior Work Camp became Tamarack Farm. All the subsequent camp programs were born out of the dual emphasis embodied in the name Farm & Wilderness — the work required for life on the farm, and the adventure pursued on wilderness trips.
In 1961, the Wilderness Corporation was formed to purchase and preserve a large tract of land on Lake Ninevah. The following year Saltash Mountain Camp (SAM) was formed. Initially a camp for boys who wanted to live in a small community dedicated to hiking, canoeing and exploring wild areas, SAM later became a small co-ed camp with a strong emphasis on community living and wilderness trips, and more recently, a flair for drama.
In 1964, Flying Cloud was formed and named in honor of an American Indian who was a much loved counselor at Timberlake. The Flying Cloud program initially emphasized the values, skills and traditions of Native Americans. As collective discomfort grew over the years that F&W might be co-opting some aspects of native cultures, Flying Cloud’s emphasis shifted to a simple and strong program of community living in close contact to the land and in rhythm with nature.
All of the camps, including the Barn Day Camp and Family Camp, live the values inherent in Quaker philosophy. These central values are simplicity, equality, honesty, service, and non-violence. These values underlie all the programs, activities and practices that are alive and well at F&W today.
