Summer Day Camps in 2016 went great. We had more campers than ever and thanks to generous donors and partner organizations we were able to offer more scholarships and financial aide to local kids who otherwise wouldn’t get the chance. Thank you Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, Second Harvest Food Bank, CASA, Loaves and Fishes, and to our many donors including, Scurich Insurance Services and Watsonville Coast Produce.
We think our Day Camp Program is especially impactful and effective at nurturing healthy relationships with food and nature. When kids can spend an entire week on the farm they are able to have deeper and more transformational experiences. Spending a few minutes in a garden is fine, but spending several days working, exploring and playing with others in the garden creates a lasting memory. Campers created beautiful arts and crafts with natural materials. My favorite project this summer are found object mobiles. The campers enjoyed collecting redwood sticks, feathers, pine cones, flowers, seeds and lots of other objects on a farm adventure hike. Then they tied, glued, painted and hung them together in an amazing variety of ways. They even asked for extra time and spent several hours perfecting these creations.
We had lots of great help again from out “Leaders in Training” teen camp councilors. Developing their leadership skills is one of our goals during camp. Seeing them achieve greater independence and gain confidence in their abilities throughout the week is rewarding. We also want to thank Willow Limbach and Claire Bruder, our two Junior Staff members who stepped up and took on much of the work of making camp so fun and full of activities.
Now, Fall Farm Tours are underway. Fall is such a great time for students to visit the farm. They can experience the changes in the trees and fields. And with apple season here, we are making apple cider with students who visit using our old-fashioned apple press, tasting lots of different kinds of apples and learning what it takes to grow this delicious and quintessential fall food. If you are interested in booking a tour, email education@farmdiscovery.org.