Farm Camp July 27th Week
🎉 Friday Celebration & Family Reminders
Tomorrow is a very special day at Farm Camp as we celebrate an incredible week filled with hard work, discovery, teamwork, and unforgettable memories!
Our campers have spent the week getting their hands dirty, learning what it takes to care for a working farm, and building confidence through real farm experiences. From helping with animals and gardens to exploring agriculture, cooking, and completing farm projects, it has been an amazing week of learning and growth.
We are excited to celebrate everything our campers have accomplished!
🌈 Color Wars Celebration
Farm spirit will be on full display as our Pepper Teams face off during Color Wars! Campers will participate in a variety of exciting farm-themed games and challenges designed to build teamwork, encourage creativity, and celebrate the friendships made throughout the week.
Our teams have spent the week cheering each other on, working together, and showing plenty of farm pride.
Who will earn this year’s Color Wars bragging rights? We can’t wait to find out!
🚜 Farm Show — 3:00 PM
Families are invited to join us at 3:00 PM for our Camp Celebration!
Our teen campers have spent the week stepping into the role of farm helpers, learning the many responsibilities that keep a farm running each day. They have gained hands-on experience caring for animals, helping with projects, exploring agriculture, and supporting younger campers throughout the week.
This celebration is a chance for them to share what they have learned, reflect on their experiences, and celebrate the skills they have developed as future farmers, leaders, and members of our farm community.
Bring your cameras we know you’ll be proud of all they have accomplished!
🚗 End-of-Day Pick-Up Information
Please remember that Circle Drive pick-up will not be available on Friday.
Following the farm show, families will check out campers directly with their counselors. After check-out, we invite families to spend time exploring the farm together and enjoying the final moments of an amazing week.
Before heading home, be sure to stop by the Farm Store! It’s a great opportunity to take home fresh farm products, special treats, and a few souvenirs to remember this year’s Farm Camp experience.
❤️ Thank You, Farm Families!
Thank you for sharing your campers with us this week.
Watching them take on new challenges, build confidence, work as a team, care for the farm, and discover the many responsibilities of agriculture has been incredibly rewarding.
Our Farmer in Training campers have shown dedication, curiosity, and a willingness to help wherever needed. We are so proud of the effort they have put into making this week a success.
We can’t wait to celebrate an amazing week together tomorrow!
🌱 See you at the farm!
Our Barnyard Buddies also had an exciting week packed with history and farm fun. Today, the children discovered how butter was made long ago by using an old-fashioned butter churn and learned fascinating facts about this traditional process. They explored the log cabin, peeked inside the root cellar to see how families stored food before refrigerators, and created their own Buddy Bangles to remember their adventures. The children also enjoyed grooming the pony, spending time outdoors, and exploring the farm while learning fun facts about life on the homestead.
🌾Day 4: Animal Science
Another incredible day on the farm brought new challenges, hands-on learning, and plenty of opportunities for our Farmers in Training to step into their roles as farm helpers.
Throughout the week, our teen campers have discovered that farming is about much more than growing food. It requires teamwork, responsibility, problem-solving, patience, and a deep understanding of the animals, plants, and people that make a farm successful.
Today’s adventures focused on the many connections that bring a farm to life from caring for animals and harvesting food to cooking, science, and engineering challenges. Every activity gave our Farmers in Training a chance to learn something new while helping create memorable experiences for themselves and others.
🥞 Fresh From the Farm Breakfast
The morning began with one of the sweetest farm traditions harvesting fresh raspberries from the berry patch!
campers carefully gathered ripe berries while learning about the importance of harvesting crops at the right time. They discovered that farmers must pay close attention to weather, timing, and plant health to produce the best-quality food.
After collecting their harvest, campers brought the raspberries into the kitchen where they helped prepare fresh raspberry pancakes and scrambled eggs.
Working alongside Chef Dan, they practiced measuring ingredients, following recipes, and understanding how farm-grown foods make their way from the field to the table.
🍓 Farm Fact: Raspberries do not continue ripening after they are picked, which means farmers must harvest them when they are perfectly ready.
The delicious breakfast was a perfect reminder that some of the best meals begin with a little hard work in the garden.
🥚 Caring for Our Feathered Farm Friends
Next, our campers helped with one of the most important daily farm responsibilities caring for our chickens.
During their visit to the coop, campers collected eggs and learned about the daily routines involved in keeping hens healthy and productive. They discussed the importance of clean living spaces, fresh water, proper nutrition, and attentive animal care.
🐔 Did You Know? Hens typically lay an egg about every 24–26 hours, and the color of an egg’s shell is determined by the breed of the chicken.
This activity reminded campers that caring for animals is a commitment that requires consistency, compassion, and responsibility every day.
🐾 Exploring Animal Adaptations
campers put on their science hats as they explored how animals are uniquely designed for the environments where they live.
Some Campers created hoof molds and compared different animal footprints and hoof shapes while learning how these features help animals move, balance, and survive.
They discovered that:
Strong hooves help large farm animals support their weight.
Specialized hooves allow mountain goats to climb steep terrain.
Horses rely on powerful hooves for movement and endurance.
Every hoof tells a story about the animal it belongs to!
🐐 Animal Fact: Goats have soft inner hoof pads that provide extra grip, helping them balance on rocky and uneven surfaces.
💥 Engineering Challenge: The Great Egg Drop
A Ms. Lou favorite activity! Because the team work is plenty and the cheers are loud!!! The excitement continued with one of the week’s favorite STEM activities the Egg Drop Challenge!
Working in teams, campers became engineers as they designed protective containers to keep an egg safe during a dramatic drop.
They tested different materials, adjusted their designs, and learned how engineers use creativity and problem-solving to overcome challenges.
Some eggs survived the journey perfectly, while others became part of a very memorable science lesson! Orange Peppers went 4 for 4, successful landings from the second floor!!
🥚 STEM Fact: Many great inventions come from testing, improving, and trying again. Learning from what doesn’t work is an important part of the engineering process.
🌱 Growing as Farm Leaders
As the week continues, our Farmers in Training are gaining a deeper appreciation for everything that goes into running a farm.
They have learned that farmers are caregivers, scientists, teachers, problem-solvers, and environmental stewards all at the same time.
From feeding animals and harvesting crops to helping younger campers and completing farm projects, they are discovering the importance of responsibility and teamwork.
🌻 Looking Ahead
With another amazing day complete, our campers continue to show leadership, curiosity, and dedication.
They are not only learning about agriculture they are becoming an important part of our farm community.
Tomorrow brings our final celebration, and we can’t wait to recognize all they have accomplished!
🌲 Farm Camp Day 3: Into the Woods We Go!
Wednesday brought campers beyond the barns and gardens and into one of the most exciting places on the farm the forest!
Surrounded by towering trees, fresh air, and the sounds of nature, campers discovered that the woods are filled with opportunities to explore, create, problem-solve, and learn. The forest became an outdoor classroom where curiosity guided the way and every activity encouraged teamwork, creativity, and appreciation for the natural world.
From building shelters and cooking over a campfire to completing team challenges and discovering the wildlife around them, campers experienced the many ways nature can teach us.
🌿 A Forest Full of Life
The forest is a busy community where every plant, animal, and tiny organism plays an important role.
Campers learned that forests provide homes for wildlife, help protect soil, clean the air, create shade, and support the ecosystems around us. They explored how trees, plants, insects, birds, and animals all work together to keep the environment healthy.
🌳 Forest Fact: A single mature tree can provide food and shelter for countless insects, birds, and mammals while helping improve the air around us.
Of course, no farm adventure is complete without a few surprises! Our playful farm goats stopped by to visit and added extra excitement to the day. Their unexpected appearance brought smiles and reminded campers that life on the farm is always full of fun moments.
🔥 Campfire Cooking Adventures
The smell of a crackling campfire filled the air as campers gathered with Chef Dan and Mr. Ryan for one of the week’s favorite activities.
Working together, campers learned how to safely prepare food outdoors while making a delicious vegetable soup and a classic oat ball for healthy protein kick.
Along the way, they practiced measuring ingredients, following directions, and working together as a team.
🥕 Farm-to-Table Fact: Cooking over a fire has been part of farming traditions for thousands of years. Before modern kitchens, many families prepared meals over wood-burning fires.
The best ingredient of all? Teamwork!
🪢 Teamwork on the Low Ropes Course
Campers put their communication skills to the test during challenges on the Low Ropes Course.
These activities weren’t about being the fastest or strongest they were about listening, encouraging teammates, sharing ideas, and working together to find solutions.
Whether helping a friend complete an obstacle or cheering someone on from the sidelines, campers learned that teamwork makes challenges easier and more rewarding.
💡 Teamwork Fact: Groups often solve problems more creatively because each person brings different ideas and perspectives.
🏕️ Building Woodland Shelters
Nature became the building material for today’s shelter challenge!
Using branches, sticks, leaves, and other natural materials, campers worked together to design and build their own woodland shelters.
As they experimented with different structures, campers practiced important engineering skills such as balance, stability, and problem-solving. They discovered that strong designs require planning, cooperation, and creativity.
🦫 Nature Fact: Beavers are some of nature’s greatest builders. Their dams create wetlands that provide habitats for many different animals.
🌼 Exploring Nature with Barnyard Buddies
Our Barnyard Buddies enjoyed their own day of discovery as they explored the sights, sounds, and wonders of the farm.
Campers visited the barns to greet familiar animal friends before taking a peaceful walk through the Master Garden. Along the way, they observed colorful flowers, growing vegetables, and the many small creatures that help gardens thrive.
After story time, campers created their own binoculars and became wildlife explorers searching for birds, butterflies, insects, and other hidden treasures around the farm.
🦋 Fun Fact: Butterflies taste with their feet! Special sensors help them determine if a flower is a good place to find nectar.
The day ended with another favorite farm tradition a wagon ride through the property followed by a picnic lunch outdoors.
🌎 Nature Is the Best Classroom
Today reminded campers that some of the best learning happens outside.
The forest encouraged curiosity, confidence, communication, and creativity. Whether cooking over a campfire, completing teamwork challenges, building shelters, or observing wildlife, every experience helped campers connect with nature in meaningful ways.
As campers headed home with muddy shoes, happy hearts, and plenty of stories to share, they carried with them a greater appreciation for the natural world around them.
Tomorrow brings even more opportunities to explore, discover, and learn together on the farm!
🌱 Farm Camp Day 2: Discovering the Connections That Make a Farm Thrive
Tuesday brought another wonderful day of exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning at the farm!
Campers spent the day uncovering the many connections between plants, animals, insects, and people. From gardens and pollinators to soil and food preparation, every activity showed campers that a successful farm depends on many important pieces working together.
With curious minds and busy hands, campers explored how nature supports agriculture and how even the smallest creatures can make a big difference.
🌼 Barnyard Buddies: Exploring the Farm Through Their Senses
Our youngest campers continued their farm adventures by becoming little nature explorers.
Using their senses, campers investigated the world around them listening for animal sounds, observing plants and wildlife, and discovering the many textures and scents found throughout the farm.
They visited gardens and animal areas while experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells that make farm life so special. Campers touched soft leaves, fuzzy wool, cool soil, and rough tree bark while learning that every detail of the farm has a story to tell.
The herb garden was a favorite stop of the day! Campers used their noses to compare different herbs and discovered how each plant has its own unique scent.
🌿 Farm Fact: Many herbs contain natural oils that create their strong aromas. These oils can help protect plants from insects while also giving herbs their wonderful flavors and fragrances.
Story time, outdoor games, and a relaxing wagon ride gave campers even more opportunities to enjoy the beauty of the farm before gathering together for a picnic lunch.
🌿 Herbs: Small Plants With Big Purpose
Older campers explored the herb garden and discovered that herbs play an important role in cooking, gardening, and everyday life.
Campers learned how to identify herbs by observing their leaves, stems, colors, and scents. They discovered that these small plants can add incredible flavor and fragrance to recipes.
Everyone enjoyed a hands-on herbal tea tasting featuring:
🌿 Peppermint
🌿 Chamomile
🌿 Lavender
🌿 Hibiscus
🌿 Nettle
Campers compared the different flavors, colors, and aromas before creating their own custom tea blends.
🍵 Fun Fact: Peppermint contains menthol, which creates a cooling sensation by tricking your brain into feeling cool even when the tea is warm.
🐦 Helping Our Feathered Farm Friends
Healthy farms provide homes for many types of animals not just the ones living in the barns.
Today, campers learned about birds and the important jobs they do in nature and agriculture. Many birds help farmers by eating insects that can damage crops, spreading seeds, and contributing to balanced ecosystems.
To help support local wildlife, campers created their own birdhouses while learning about the importance of providing safe spaces for nesting birds.
🐤 Did You Know? Bluebirds can eat thousands of insects during one nesting season, making them valuable helpers in gardens and farms.
🪱 The Amazing World Beneath Our Feet
Some of the hardest workers on the farm are tiny creatures hiding underground!
Campers explored the world of compost and learned about the important role earthworms play in creating healthy soil.
As worms move through the ground, they help loosen soil, improve water flow, and create spaces where plant roots can grow. They also help recycle organic materials into nutrient-rich compost that supports thriving gardens.
🌎 Amazing Soil Fact: A single handful of healthy soil contains millions of tiny living organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic helpers that support plant growth.
Campers discovered that soil is much more than dirt it is a living ecosystem.
🐝 Buzzing About Pollinators
The day continued with a closer look at some of agriculture’s most important helpers: pollinators.
Campers learned how bees collect nectar and transfer pollen from flower to flower, allowing many fruits, vegetables, and flowers to grow.
They discovered that foods such as apples, pumpkins, cucumbers, blueberries, squash, strawberries, and watermelons all depend on pollinators.
🍎 Pollinator Fact: Many flowering plants rely on animals such as bees, butterflies, and birds to help them reproduce.
Campers left with a new appreciation for these tiny creatures and the enormous impact they have on our food systems.
🥒 Garden Kitchen With Chef Dan
The kitchen was filled with excitement as campers turned fresh garden cucumbers into homemade pickles!
Working with Chef Dan, campers learned how food preservation has helped families enjoy garden harvests throughout the year. They sliced cucumbers, measured ingredients, prepared brine, and packed their jars while discovering the science behind pickling.
Before refrigerators existed, preserving food was an important way for families and farmers to store their harvest and reduce waste.
Through cooking, campers discovered that agriculture, science, and creativity all come together in the kitchen.
🌎 Everything Is Connected
By the end of the day, campers discovered that every part of the farm works together:
🌱 Healthy soil helps plants grow.
🌼 Plants provide food and habitats.
🐝 Pollinators help crops produce fruits and vegetables.
🐦 Birds support healthy ecosystems.
🪱 Worms enrich the soil.
👩🌾 Farmers care for every part of the process.
Today’s adventures showed campers that even the smallest parts of nature can have the biggest impact.
Another amazing day of learning, exploring, and farm discoveries came to an end—and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
🌾 Farm Camp Day 1: New Friends, First Discoveries & Farm Adventures Begin!
The first day of Farm Camp was filled with excitement, curiosity, and the beginning of many new friendships!
As campers arrived at the farm, smiles quickly filled the fields as returning friends reunited and new campers began exploring their new surroundings. From the barns and gardens to the trails and animal areas, every corner of the farm offered something new to discover.
Day 1 was all about getting comfortable, learning what makes a farm special, and jumping into hands-on experiences that help campers understand agriculture, teamwork, and the important role each person plays on a working farm.
🐐 Barnyard Buddies: First Farm Discoveries
Our youngest campers began their week by becoming familiar with their new farm home.
After decorating their camp hats with colorful designs, campers headed out on their first adventure to meet the animals and explore the sights and sounds of the farm.
One of the day’s special introductions was meeting our friendly llama and learning about the camp values represented by L.L.A.M.A.
L — Listen
L — Learn
A — Attitude
M — Make Good Choices
A — All Together
These simple reminders help campers practice kindness, teamwork, respect, and making positive choices throughout their Farm Camp experience.
Using all five senses, campers became true farm detectives. They listened for roosters crowing and goats calling across the pasture, searched for butterflies and insects in the gardens, touched soft wool and textured tree bark, smelled fresh herbs growing nearby, and discovered that farmers pay close attention to even the smallest details.
🌱 Fun Farm Fact: Sheep wool helps keep sheep comfortable throughout the year by providing insulation that helps regulate body temperature in both warm and cool weather.
The adventure continued with a sheep wool craft, an interactive farm story, a matching game, and a walk through the beautiful Master Garden.
Before the day came to an end, campers enjoyed one of everyone’s favorite farm traditions—a wagon ride around the property. With every turn, campers discovered something new about the farm they will call home for the week.
🚜 Exploring What It Means to Be a Farmer
Older campers began their week by gathering together for introductions, team-building activities, and a chance to get to know their fellow campers.
Through games and group challenges, campers quickly turned new faces into new friends while learning the importance of communication, encouragement, and teamwork.
Then it was time to experience some real farm responsibilities!
Campers helped with animal care and explored the many daily tasks that keep a farm running smoothly. They discovered that farming requires patience, organization, and dedication, and that every job—big or small helps create a healthy environment for plants and animals.
Even our youngest helpers were eager to contribute, grabbing child-sized brooms and helping tidy barn areas. They learned that everyone has a role to play when caring for a farm.
🐄 Did You Know? Dairy cows spend several hours each day eating and have specialized digestive systems that allow them to break down grasses and hay.
🥬 Garden Kitchen: From Garden Rows to Creative Creations
Campers discovered that delicious food begins long before it reaches the kitchen.
Their first Garden Kitchen adventure started in the vegetable garden, where they harvested fresh Swiss chard from the raised beds. As they collected their greens, campers learned about the care, patience, and teamwork required to grow healthy crops.
Back in the kitchen, those colorful leaves became inspiration for a creative art project. Campers used the beauty of the garden to create unique vegetable portraits, combining agriculture and creativity in a fun new way.
🌿 Garden Fact: Swiss chard is sometimes called a “cut-and-come-again” vegetable because new leaves continue growing after older leaves are harvested.
🔎 The Farm Mystery Challenge
Adventure continued with a farm-wide scavenger hunt!
Working together, campers followed clues throughout the property while exploring gardens, barns, animal areas, and trails. Each discovery helped reveal a hidden message while encouraging campers to communicate, think creatively, and work as a team.
Along the way, campers became familiar with the many places they would visit throughout the week and gained confidence navigating their new farm environment.
🧲 Horseshoe Confidence Craft
Every Farm Camp experience begins with a special reminder to believe in yourself.
During the Horseshoe Confidence Craft, campers decorated their own horseshoes while reflecting on trying new things, supporting teammates, and having the courage to step outside their comfort zones.
The horseshoe became a symbol of confidence, growth, and the exciting adventures ahead.
🐴 Fun Fact: Horseshoes are not lucky because of magic they help protect horses’ hooves and allow them to move comfortably across different surfaces.
❤️ Meeting the Farm Family
One of the biggest highlights of the day was meeting the animals that call the farm home.
Campers visited many of our furry and feathered friends while learning how farmers provide animals with fresh food, clean water, safe shelter, enrichment, and daily care.
These experiences help campers build compassion, responsibility, and a deeper appreciation for the important role animals play in agriculture.
Throughout the day, campers enjoyed special animal encounters, nature walks, and opportunities to learn more about the farm community around them.
🌟 A Wonderful Beginning
By the end of Day 1, campers had already accomplished so much.
They explored the farm, cared for animals, harvested vegetables, created artwork, solved challenges, learned new routines, and began building friendships.
The first day reminded us that the best learning happens when children can ask questions, get their hands dirty, and experience agriculture firsthand.
And this is only the beginning!
We can’t wait to see what discoveries, adventures, and memories the rest of the week will bring.
