Summer camp is a rewarding rite of passage that offers kids the opportunity to foster independence, build self-confidence, master new skills, and create lasting friendships. With the summer camps at Hawthorne Valley in Columbia County, kids get all of that plus the invaluable experience of sunny summer days spent connecting with the rhythms of a vibrant working organic farm.
“It’s a pretty special camp experience,” says Joe Harris, Co-Director of Children’s Programming at Hawthorne Valley’s Place-Based Learning Center. “In addition to all the fun stuff most summer camps have, children get to care for our sheep, collect eggs from the chickens, milk the cows early in the morning, harvest vegetables, and learn all about the farm-to-table approach.”
The two overnight camps take place on Hawthorne Valley’s 900-acre educational campus and certified-Biodynamic farm in Ghent, which is also home to an early childhood through grade 12 Waldorf school, a natural foods and grocery store, and an organic bakery and creamery.
Both camps, offered in 6- or 13-day sessions in June and July, are rooted in Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School’s educational philosophy and provide a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the lifecycle of a farm from start to finish.
The Farm Explorers camp, open to ages 8 to 12, provides a well-rounded introduction to life on the farm where kids get to participate in the fundamentals of animal care and growing food.
At mealtime, campers enjoy the fruits of their labor—with organic, farm-to-table family meals in the dining hall featuring the freshly harvested vegetables, dairy, and other products they had a hand in making. “They get to watch the whole process from the garden all the way to their plate,” Harris says.
Open to older campers ages 12 to 16, the Earth Stewards camp offers kids the opportunity to dive even deeper into farm and kitchen tasks, with mornings spent as “junior apprentices” to Hawthorne Valley’s talented farmers, cheesemakers, chefs, and bakers.
The tech-free camps also provide an important opportunity for kids to get back to basics and fully immerse themselves in the wonder of the natural world. Afternoons at camp are spent enjoying leisure-time activities such as horseback riding, hiking, swimming in the spring-fed pond, nature-based arts and crafts, playing games, and making music.
“My favorite part is how authentic the experience is,” Harris says. “The kids develop stamina, make lifelong friends, and get to feel like they’ve made a real difference.”
For more information, visit Hawthornevalleysummercamp.org.
