Farmer's in Training Summer Day Camp
What is Farm Camp?
Gather fresh eggs...harvest vegetable...pick berries...feed and groom animals...crush tomatoes...explore the
pond...listen to birds...make butter...dig in the dirt...plant seeds...build something...fix stuff and figure things
out...learn to work together...get your knees dirty!
Genesis Farm is a small market farm, about five miles from Chapel Hill, growing and selling vegetables, herbs and
flowers, using safe and natural farming methods. Part of our mission is to offer educational opportunities for children.
This summer we are excited to announce our first ever "Farmer's in Training" Half-Day Summer Camps where kids spend the morning learning about the challenges and rewards of life on a small farm. We know that most children are not going to grow up to be farmers, but they are the next generation of land stewards. Much has been written lately about the child of the 21st century being "lost in the woods", disconnected from Nature. Our summer day camps offer a nurturing and teaching environment where kids can expand their imagination, cultivate their curiosity and reconnect with the magical world outdoors. Our camps emphasize stewardship, knowledge and fun. We combine the best aspects of a very active small farm in a peaceful, natural environment.
Genesis Farm is not a place where we come to teach about farming and nature for six hours every day. This is
where we live. It is our life and home. We are here when the animals go to bed at night and when they wake up
in the morning. The barnyard animals are our family. Our neighbors include woodcocks, bullfrogs, bluebirds
and snakes. We grow and care for the plants, soil and animals. Our classroom and discovery place is outdoors in
the pastures, gardens, pond and barnyard. We learn by immersion, not by show and tell. Our hope is that
children will experience new physical and intellectual abilities and solve new challenges through work,
exploration and play. We want our campers to feel the soil in their hands and literally, get their knees dirty!
Through the guidance of our counselors and farm staff, campers will:
- - Learn about and care for our barnyard animals.
- - Plant, nurture, harvest and prepare food from the soil.
- - Explore and investigate the cycles of life with hands-on activities.
- - Discover their creative side through art, crafts and quiet reflection.
This summer we will offer camp activities for ages 5-9 and 10-13. Our days are unique: the main focus is
growing plants and caring for animals. Campers will learn all the steps involved in growing food, from planting
seeds in their own patch of soil to harvest to table. Each day, we will also include time for art and nature, which
is an integral part of the farm, creative building and cooking projects, and of course, farm chores of all sorts. It
is not a camp for the faint of heart -- we do farm and garden activities in all kinds of weather, but we balance all this work and activity with quiet time and reflection. Campers will leave each day tired and dirty, but we hope, happy, ready to return the next day.
Being a "Farmer in Training" at Genesis Farm requires teamwork that fosters three basic values:
Respect - Cooperation - Responsibility.
Minimum number of kids for camp: 7
A Typical Day at Farm Camp - Each day we explore a different garden theme and focus on a different barnyard animal. Our counselors guide the activities and provide direction for the day. Rain or shine!
- 9:00 Welcome and group time
- 9:00- 10:30 Barnyard chores, garden tasks
- 10:30-10:45 Snack and rest
- 10:45-11:45 Art and nature exploration
- 11:45-12:00 Snack and quiet reflection, story time for younger kids
- 12:00-1:00 Time to create and play - Crafts and games
- 1:00 Come together and say goodbye
Think ~ Grow ~ Laugh ~ Learn!
Forms
To register your child for summer camp, please fill out the forms below and email them to: GenesisFarm@me.com