The farm as a classroom: How to build your own day camp
Each summer, the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center in Yaphank, NY, run by CCE Suffolk, hums with campers. They’re in the pastures with livestock, doing crafts in the fields, performing in talent shows in the historic hay barn or taking wagon rides.
“Camp is so much more than just a supervised playdate. I just love the informal education that happens here,” said Brittany Naumann, the camp’s interim program director and 4-H education program manager.
Using the 272-acre working farm as a giant classroom and living laboratory, the day camp curriculum is built around the 4-H positive youth development framework which emphasizes hands-on learning, leadership and resiliency. The goal is that campers learn not just about agriculture and animal science but also about nutrition, healthy living and life skills.
The camp, accredited by the American Camp Association, offers six one-week sessions, running from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. with before and after care available. They do not offer meals. About 600 youth from kindergarten through 10th grade attend the camp. K-6 campers are divided into five groups to allow for developmentally appropriate activities. Seventh and eighth grade students can apply to act as leaders-in-training with ninth and 10th graders serving as counselors-in-training.
Like most summer camps, children move through the day engaged in a wide range of activities. Since the farm is primarily a working livestock farm, many activities involve animals. They have goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys, peafowl, rabbits, ponies, horses, cattle, llamas, pigs and one alpaca named Picasso.
Beyond livestock, they also have “critters” that are used to help educate youth. Critters include turtles, rats, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and axolotls. The critters are used throughout the year for other educational programming offered by the farm, and according to Naumann they add a lot of value to camp activities without adding significant cost and staff chores.
Another camper favorite is the hands-on butterfly house where they learn about native butterfly species – their lifecycles, anatomical features and the host plants that butterfly larvae depend on.
Then there’s the Certified Nature Explore Classroom equipped with a mud kitchen, a playground area, a bug hotel and a giant loom. The Nature Explore Classroom is a national certification for outdoor classrooms that demonstrate a commitment to helping children use the natural world as an integral part of learning.
Campers also engage in more traditional camp activities like archery, arts and crafts, talent shows and arts and music.
As campers get older and gain more skills, they are permitted more responsibility. For example, they might get to work with cattle in the chute. Engaged, responsible campers are encouraged to apply for the leader- and counselor-in-training programs, which helps to build a critical future staffing pipeline.
Tips for Starting Your Own Summer Camp
If you are looking for ways to expand your farm’s outreach and education, planning a summer camp for next year may be an option.
Not all farms will have this level of resources and infrastructure available to them, but Naumann believes farms can create meaningful summer camp experiences.
She suggested starting small – running camp during the two-week window between when most other camps end and school begins. This strategy, she said, would allow a farm to find its footing while meeting the needs of a target audience. It could also potentially attract experienced staff from other local camps that have already finished their season.
Naumann said that it’s important to contact your state’s health department early to learn about the requirements and permitting process. Understanding these requirements will help you think through your health and safety plans (including background checks), fire safety, facility design, foodservice and aquatic/swimming safety. It’s because of health department regulations that the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center, for example, requires campers to bring their own food. Foodservice significantly increases liability and permitting requirements.
Similarly, reach out to your insurance company early on and make sure it understands the intent is to run a summer camp as opposed to occasional programming, like a workshop.
Staffing remains a challenge at the farm, so Naumann said to anticipate a similar situation in most locations. She likes to have her staffing locked in by the end of February, when camp registration opens. She said, “I wouldn’t want to go into spring looking for staff for the summer. That would make me really nervous.”
The center’s leader- and counselor-in-training programs have been successful, so she recommended this approach. She also suggested reaching out to local 4-H and FFA chapters and ag programs at local high schools and colleges to find staff. Don’t forget about friends and family.
Finally, Naumann made a pitch for the American Camp Association, calling them the “gold standard” for camp-related information. She said, “They have different professional development resources, they have conferences, they have startup resources, they have everything that you would need.” They even have a free “how to start a summer camp” document.
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin
