Day camp and overnight camp at an organic farm is different from many summer camps. Our working organic farm is one aspect that makes Farm & Wilderness summer camp stand out.
Kneeling Tamarack Farmers pull carrots out of the soil, barely brushing off the dirt before tasting the
The farm distinguishes F&W summer camps and extends into many activities, from spinning wool to churning milk in jam jars. In an age of digital connections, the farm gives kids a space to negotiate their social place face-to-face. Ordinarily distanced from physical work, campers find joy
in chores. Somehow, amid the sweat and hay-pricked arms, the work of hoisting bales into wagons helps young people connect with the land, the seasons and each other.
Embedded in their work are other lessons: the math of measuring and tallying the weekly harvests. The science of seeds, composting, and new sprouts. The responsibility learned by high school students mentoring young campers on BDC farm stand days, as they sell lettuce, green beans, and raspberries.
The farm provides the raw materials for many art projects and meals. Harvested flowers become yellow and orange hues in sun-soaked bottles, naturally dying the fiber, or garnishes on dinner plates. Campers see the origins of their food as they learn how to collect eggs, wash them in the Timberlake kitchen and crack them into bowls to create a homemade meal.
Many a camper discovers solace and companionship, curled up against
the rhythmic, steady breathing of a farm animal. The tinny music of milk squirted into metal pails is part of barn chores. So are the quiet moments of the farm, the daily rituals of filling buckets with water, coffee cans with sweet feed and listening to a choir of munching, content animals at dusk.
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