This summer we are celebrating 80 years of summer camp!! Over those many years, Farm & Wilderness camps and campers have been many things. This year, we’d like to hear your 8 fondest memories from Farm & Wilderness. To kick this off, F&W lifer, Sam Arfer is sharing 8 things you may not know about F&W.
1. All the Farm & Wilderness Camps are in Plymouth, except the ones that aren’t. Saltash Mountain and Red Spruce Grove are actually in the town of Mount Holly.
2. There used to be a shelter on the Long Trail that was built by F&W campers. Unfortunately, Tamarack Shelter was torn down to make way for a downhill ski trail. The shelter was a very popular spot with porcupines who loved to chew on the hiking boots of people who failed to secure them properly.
3. Many years ago, Flying Cloud used to keep a large bow saw in the kitchen to trim the burnt crust off loaves of bread baked in dutch ovens. In recent years, (and in part thanks to a new oven) Flying Cloud has gained a reputation for producing some of the best bread in the camps.
4. There is a rumor that the sawdust traditionally spread in the upper lodge at Timberlake banquets ‘reconditions’ the wooden floor.
5. There are four Islands in Woodward Reservoir: Paradise, Ant, Floating, and Tucker’s.
6. Indian Brook can claim the very first compost kybo build at F&W. It’s the ever-popular Main Lodge Kybo.
7. There used to be a ride at Fair called The Hay Flyer. You shot down a steep hill in a wooden cart and ended up in a pile of hay (something like the Aqua-Chute of today, but with a rougher landing). It was discontinued in the ’70s.
8. The tables and benches in the Tamarack Farm dining room were all built by Tamarack Farmers.