I had the joy of sitting with the First Lodge and Big Lodge campers as they settled back into their cabins after trips.Stories were bubbling out of them.They talked of canoeing “rapids,” baking cinnamon buns outdoors, climbing (“we loved it!”), and carrying heaving packs. But what was the most exciting was hearing their confidence and seeing the friendships that developed while they were away from camp.Two campers that went on the Big Lodge “wilderness” trip took turns telling a story of their trip as if they had been friends for years.They were finishing each other’s sentences as they told of beading, carving spoons and pumping water.

While it’s difficult to get trips out so close to the start of camp, seeing the effects it has on our youngest campers makes it totally worth it.They’ve forgotten their homesickness, they’ve accomplished something to be proud of,and they have meaningful experiences to share with new friends.

After breakfast this morning, First Lodge and Big Lodge campers are heading our for trips to practice skills - from Trail Maintenance and outdoor cooking to Rock Climbing and canoeing. Length and location of trips vary, with plenty of excitement and team building adventures.

“We’re going to be climbing on real rocks, with anchors built by Rocks & Ropes instructors,” said Dara, Rocks & Ropes Head.

“At the top of the rock, you can see the most beautiful lake – Lake Dunmore!” said M.C., a First Lodge counselor leading a trip to Silver Lake.

Some of the Big Lodge campers are going to be hiking part of the Long Trail. “Yesterday we had Trips Training. The campers learned how to use the stove, how to leave no trace in the woods, and how to be a respectful hiker…because we’ll probably be meeting other hikers along the way,” said Steph, a Big Lodge counselor.

Beyond the hiking and climbing, “the girls are really excited about trail food and group games…it’s going to be a good mix of fun and challenge,” she added.

A few days after the First Lodge and Big Lodge campers return, Dara is leading the Senior Lodgers on an Adirondack’s trip.

In addition to climbing, she will lead them in reflection activities and group initiatives, and teach them “there’s more to cooking on trips than your typical ‘trail food’…it’s going to be a backwood’s baking class!” she said excitedly. Dara will lead them in making a variety of tasty meals, “from calzones and pizza, with real rising bread, to cinnamon buns made with brown sugar and raisins, scones, and biscuits for breakfast.”

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Indian Brook trips coordinator, Althea Brown (ibtripscoordinatorREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com).

Beyond the beautiful landscape, sustainable
farming, social justice initiatives, and amazing people, Farm & Wilderness
is also a place for amazing food.

No matter what your preference, you will enjoy
some of the best food you’ve ever had at breakfast, lunch and dinner (with the
occasional special snack or treat along the way!).

Our wonderful IB kitchen staff has been
working hard - testing out nutritious recipes, accommodating food allergies,
sharing and tasting vegan and vegetarian dishes, and baking up the world’s best
chocolate and white chocolate chip cookies.

Our fare ranges from our specialty meals -
“Mediterranean Spice”, “Sushi Night”, or warm split-pea
soup on a chilly, rainy afternoon - to the ever-so popular berries & cream
pancake breakfasts or classic cookouts, complete with grilled hamburgers, hotdogs,
veggie burgers, juicy watermelon (and all the fixings!).

There is always something wonderful, healthy,
and tasty to eat at IB, including plenty of produce from the F&W gardens:
kale, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, herbs and more.

“We try to make stuff from scratch most
the time, rather than just reheat frozen food like most summer camps do,”
said Julia, IB’s head chef. She orders as much organic and local food as
possible, “because that’s what we’re about at Farm & Wilderness…this
week we had plenty from our gardens - radishes and greens and garlic scapes,
which are yummy, and which we used in the cream cheese this morning.”

Coming from Portland, Oregon, Julia explained
that she has never had any formal training, but managed a Subway for a year and
a half when she was just 18 years old. “My mom taught me a few
tricks…but I just really love cooking. Making people happy is enjoyable to
me.”

Transitioning from her role as a camper in
2008, to IB kitchen staff, Catie shared, “It’s really cool to come back to
my roots in a sense and learn how to become a better cook here, rather than
some random restauraunt in New York…I’ve always loved cooking - anything from
macaroni and cheese to chicken curry.”

To plan the menu, the whole IB kitchen team -
Catie, Hazel, Jennie, Jessica, Julia, Katie, Lily and Nieyajaha - meet weekly.

“We all sit in the pantry…everyone
gives their input and we decide together. It works out pretty well,” Catie
said.

Are you more of a peanut butter and jelly fan?
No problem - we’re always stocked with a selection of breads and spreads!
Gluten free? Vegan? Vegetarian? Any allergies, dietary restrictions, or
suggestions are accommodated and welcomed!

Nieyajaha, from New York, was an IB camper
2003-2006 and returned in 2008 to work in the kitchen at IB. Back for her
second year, she shared her excitement for cooking for the campers: “It’s
fun to cook for the campers,” because, in comparison to the counselors,
“they’re excited, like times a hundred! They’re very appreciative, and
that’s really nice.”

Nieyajah is excited about our campers’
arrival. “I feel well equipped – we have a good kitchen staff, we have
good interactions, we all get along and I did this before so it should be
fun.”

Indian Brook was thrilled to have Jack & Ruth Hunter over for dinner on a recent evening.  Sitting next to a glowing fire, the two shared a little slice of F&W history and,  of course, a delicious, warm meal and hot herbal tea!

Jack Hunter was F&W’s first executive director from 1973-1977. He and Ruth co-directed Saltash Mountain camp from 1962-1968 and Tamarack Farm from 1969-1971.

“Our founders [Ken and Susan Webb] were Quakers, who believed in equality, who thought to have camping experiences available to all kids, regardless of [their] ability to afford it,” Jack Hunter said.

Although they were not well-supported by the larger community, the Webbs stood by their convictions of promoting equality and peace.  For decades, “F&W has encouraged participation among campers of all different backgrounds,” Mr. Hunter explained.  “In the early 70s, it was a gutsy thing to do because the camps were hanging by a thread, financially.  But they did it anyway.”

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was another important moment in F&W history.

“We extended an invitation to all the children of Civil Rights movement leaders,” Jack Hunter said.  “After Malcolm X was killed, we invited Betty [Shabazz] to send the three girls here.”

Two of the Shabazz children attended Indian Brook, including Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, the former professor of three new F&W staff members.  F&W has three new staff at F&W this summer, that were students of Ambassador Shabazz, in Kentucky, where she served as a Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the Unviersity of Louisville.

“Wow! A professor?!,” exclaimed Mr. Hunter.  “I remember Attallah…she was a very strong person.”

In 1968, F & W changed from proprietary camps to a non-profit organization (which it continues to be today), ”This was a godsend to us, particularly for getting scholarships for campers,” Mr. Hunter explained.  “I’m sure many of you, who are former campers, are here because of camperships.”

Around this time, Saltash Mountain Camp - previously a boys camp - invited girls to attend. “We shouldn’t just be having boys camping,” Ms. Hunter said. “Girls wanted to have that kind of [experience].”

What better way for our new staff to gain a better understanding of the culture, than through the firsthand account of two very dedicated individuals.

Big Lodge Staff (left to right)! Karissa, Julia, M.C., Rachel, Clara, Steph, Laura, Devon, Sharky, Liz , Joey, Frenchy, Sarah, and Naomi!

First Lodge Staff (from left to right)! Emily, Rachel S., Rachel H., Sarah L., Flannery, Lily, Sarah K., and Emma!

After two weeks of training and bonding, we’ve split up staff into cabins - the First Lodge (Heffalumps, Woozles, and Crickets), Big Lodge (Annapurna, Morning Glory, Rosa Parks, Top of the Forest, Seneca Falls, and Tajars), and Senior Lodge (Sojo, Beavers, Lorelei, Birches, Bridges, and Wehumba!). We packed up all our things and have moved into our new homes for the summer!

First Lodge Staff, Sarah K., said she chose to be at Farm & Wilderness over any other place because:

“I feel like it’s more than just a summer camp. I feel like this a place where children can take away tools to change the world. One of our goals is for children to take away skills they can use.”

Senior Lodge Staff (from let to right)! Lea, Anna O., Anneke, Bekah, Emily D., Chelsea, Danielle, Bonnie, Justine, Edie, Maeve, Larken, Colleen, and Kathleen!

One of my mentors always said to me, “the world would be a better place, if we all woke up each morning excited to find the beauty in the day.”

When I was hired to work at F&W in April, I tried to prepare for what I knew would be a challenging and rewarding summer. Browsing the website, I checked the blog, perused photo albums from past years and researched Plymouth, Vermont on Google.

I met for brunch with a camp alum – an international diplomat who had found solace every summer at Indian Brook.

But nothing could have completely prepared me for this experience. Never in my life have I been surrounded by so much breathtaking beauty – both in the natural landscape, and the human heart.

For most of the day, I’m free from the burden of most technology; no cell phone service and limited internet access have led to the conversation and connection I’ve sought for so long and was worried that I’d never find it again.

In an increasingly globalized world, we are so easily and quickly connected, but, paradoxically, many of us feel increasingly isolated.

We participated in fantastic Skills Trainings, which was similar to the “Barns & Gardens” training, where I learned how to milk a cow, witnessed the birth of two beautiful calves, made mozzarella cheese (which we later fed to a 700-pound pig named Hallifax!), and participated in a fiber arts workshop to gain skills in carding, spinning and dying wool, and techniques for knitting and weaving.

Thankfully, here at IB, we are re-connecting and re-claiming that which makes us most human. We’ve laughed, cried, shared stories, poems, and incredible moments of silence.

Our music is chirping birds in the morning, soothing drops of rain on our cabin rooftops, women singing grace before a home-cooked meal and guitars strumming as we sit on the front-porch swing.

We are making tons of new friends (and re-connecting with old ones) - chatting by the fireplace while our hiking boots and socks dried on a rainy day, sipping steaming hot mugs of cocoa on the porch after dinner chores, discussing our passions, perspectives, and daily practices as active global citizens.

What an exceptional opportunity we have here, to live the life we’ve imagined: to live simply, walk softly, and move forth confidently in the direction of our dreams.

This summer at Indian Brook promises to be full of beauty, for the human spirit, when fostered with positive energy and held in the Light, is like a thousand galaxies burning. Together, we have the potential to shed light upon the shadows of injustice all over the world.

Our amazing Indian Brook community, formed a few days ago, is shining like a brilliant star. So, hurry campers - we are ready for your light!

by a new IB staff member.

Our staff have arrived. This week, they’ve been gaining skills to prepare them for their work this summer.

Over the past ten days, more than 60 women from around the country have gathered at Indian Brook to share their experiences, inspiration and enthusiasm for the 2011 Farm & Wilderness summer. Rain or shine, both new and returning ladies at IB have hit the ground running to prepare for the arrival of our amazing campers!

We finished “Skills Week” off strong, with five newly certified “Water Safety Instructors”, lots of new (and re-certified) Life Guards, Outdoor Living Skills and Rocks & Ropes instructors and team members ready to lead our campers on exciting, challenging, and rewarding outdoor adventures!

“We are all set and ready to guide our girls through cool new challenges…like climbing the ‘Chimney’ wall at IB,” said a Rocks & Ropes team member.

Kitchen staff has been planning menus, preparing meals, and perfecting delicious and healthy dishes, using lots of food grown here on the farm. IB staff has been so kind as to “taste test” anything from sugared ginger spiral bread and vegan biscuits to baked ziti and thin-crust pizza.

Tamarack Farm crew led several Barns & Gardens workshops – we picked herbs from the garden to make mozzarella and ricotta cheese, used fresh farm milk to church creamy vanilla and mint chocolate chip ice cream, hand-spun and dyed wool, and learned how to weave, knit, and needle-felt. We learned about organic and sustainable practices, and practical advice such as: “If you go visit a farm, be sure and bake chocolate chip cookies for the farmer!” said TF’s Farm Manager.

As of last week, IB has two beautiful chocolate-colored calves – Hemlock and Havarti – which campers can meet and perhaps even bottle feed! Get ready for barn chores, because we also have goats, rabbits and other amazing animals that would love to be groomed, fed, or taken for a walk.

After dinner (and chores!), mellifluous sounds of guitars, rhythmic drum beats, beautiful voices, and laughter filled the cool Green Mountain air. Hiking boots, socks, and rain jackets are laid out to dry, as we sip steaming hot cups of cocoa and tea, discuss exciting social justice issues, teach songs, skills and games, and build friendships that are sure to last a lifetime.

This weekend, many of us completed trainings for certification in Wilderness First Aid and CPR, and completed some camp beautification projects. Our talented Works Projects women helped built a trash shed for the main F&W office, to learn “hard skills” - from building the roof and rafters to laying out the floor and applying siding – necessary to guide campers in the future.

“I’m excited for campers to get here, so we can work in this environment. We’re going to build chicken coops and a new swing set,” said a Works Project team member.

Our campground is overflowing with food, fun, and friendship. Our library is organized, our dining room is sparkling clean, and our staff room is freshly painted. We can’t wait to meet our campers!

We have truly made “love visible” through challenging and rewarding efforts in preparation for an incredible summer. I’m excited to see how the skills play out when campers get here. Next week is “Staff Training”, so be sure to check back for exciting IB updates!

Karissa Hummel (Big Lodge head), Lily Dixon (First Lodge head), Maeve Carver (Senior Lodge head).

We’re excited to have three amazing Lodge Heads for 2011.  They’re all returning staff with a wealth of knowledge and IB experience.

Our lodge heads can be reached at 802-422-2067

ibfirstlodge@gmail.com

ibbiglodge@gmail.com

ibseniorlodge@gmail.com

Trips are one of the most exciting and memorable parts of the summer at Indian Brook. Trips range in length and location and offer a variety of team building adventures in the outdoors. Every half season and two-week camper will have the opportunity to go on one trip, and every full season camper will have the opportunity to go on two. We will teach all the skills needed for campers to enjoy their trips.

First lodgers (9- and110 year olds) will go on trips in cabin groups and do not need to submit trip preferences. These trips will be combined hiking and canoeing trips lasting 3 days and 2 nights. Our Ninevah trip will set off from Saltash Mountain camp, canoe around Lake Ninevah, and then hike in the region near Tiny Mountain. Our Ridge trip will hike on the ridge behind Indian Brook and then canoe back across Woodward Reservoir to camp.

Big lodgers (11 and 12 year olds) have options to hike in the Green Mountains, canoe on a lake on the border of New Hampshire and Maine, rock climb in central Vermont, do trail maintenance, or go on a wilderness skills trip.

Senior lodgers (13 and 14 year olds) have options to hike in the Green Mountains of Vermont or on the Appalachian Trail in Maine, canoe on a river that passes from Maine into New Hampshire, rock climb in the Adirondacks, go on a farm service trip, or do trail maintenance.

If you have any questions, or if you’re an 11,12,13, or 14 year-old IB camper for July who hasn’t received a link to our trips survey please email the Indian Brook trips coordinator, Althea Brown (ibtripscoordinatorREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com) or call us at 802-422-2067. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you soon! Althea

This summer IB will welcome Early who will be coming to camp with her owner Kaitlyn Gardner (our new Outdoor Living Skills Head).   Early and Kaitlyn will be living in “staff only” housing.  Campers will be able to meet and spend time with Early if they want to;  if not, her quiet and calm disposition will keep her in the background of camp activity.