By Michael Turton
A number of close-to-home summer camps help children and teenagers appreciate the importance of the slogan, “No Farms, No Food.” Each camp offers scholarships.
Common Ground
At Common Ground, located just north of Beacon at the Stony Kill Environmental Center, campers are organized into groups of 12 to explore their relationship with food and nature. Its “classrooms” are the garden, pond, field, barn and trails. Weekly themes include animals, living wild, farmers and living off the land, science at the farm, nature and art, think like a chef and local food with global flavor.
Day camps for children ages 3 to 12 run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., from July 17 through Sept. 1. Before- and after-care is available. For registrations completed before April 1, the cost is $210 per week for half day and $260 per week for full-day programs. There is also an eight-week counselor-in-training program for students ages 13 to 16 for $600. Visit commongroundfarm.org or email Education Director Sember Weinman at [email protected].
Sprout Creek
Located in Dutchess County, Sprout Creek Farm offers day and overnight camps on a 200-acre dairy farm that includes a creamery. Children interact with the animals while learning what it takes to run a farm. Summer is the busiest time for milk production from cows and goats, the vegetable garden is full and the creek is finally warm enough to take a dip.
Week-long day camps for children ages 5 to 11 are held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for eight sessions beginning June 26. Early arrival and late stay are available. The fee is $395 per week.
Weeklong overnight boys’, girls’ and co-ed camps include morning chores and meals cooked with chefs trained at the Culinary Institute of America. The cost ranges from $1,100 to $1,300 per week. A session also takes place from July 5 to 7 for $550. See facebook.com/sproutcreekfarm or email [email protected].
Phillies Bridge
Located south of New Paltz, the Phillies Bridge Farm Project offers one-week and two-week day camps for children ages 4 to 12.
The 65-acre farm includes vegetable fields, an herb garden, a discovery garden, woodlands, wetlands, rolling pastures, trails and views of the Shawangunk Ridge. The one-week camp is Farm Camp (starting June 26) and the two-week camps are Farm Fresh Cooking (July 10 and Aug. 7) and Forests and Fields (July 24).
The camps take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fees are $325 for the Farm Camp and $525 and $650 for the two-week camps. See philliesbridge.org or email Camp Director Jasmine Wood at [email protected].
And for high school students…
The nonprofit Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture near Sleepy Hollow offers 11th and 12th graders, as well as motivated 10th graders, an “intensive, delicious and mind-opening exploration of food and farming” in two-week sessions that begin June 26, July 10 and Aug. 7.
The Summer Institute, which runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., costs $1,510 to $1,675 per session. See stonebarnscenter.org or email [email protected].
Camp Guide
All Sport Camp Fit (Fishkill)
845-896-5678 | allsporthealthandfitness.com
Ballet Arts Studio (Beacon)
845-831-1870 | balletartsstudio.com
Beacon Music Factory (Beacon)
845-765-0472 | beaconmusicfactory.com
Building Bridges Building Boats (Cold Spring)
845-265-4290 | buildingboats.org
Camp Hillcroft (Lagrangeville)
845-223-5826 | camphillcroft.com
Common Ground Farm (Wappingers Falls)
845-231-4424 | commongroundfarm.org
Garrison Art Center (Garrison)
845-424-3960 | garrisonartcenter.org
Hudson Highlands Nature Museum (Cornwall)
845-534-5506 x211 | hhnm.org
Shakespeare Camp (Cold Spring)
845-809-5750 x13 | hvshakespeare.org
Shattemuc Sailing Camp (Ossining)
914-941-8777 | shattemucyc.org
Sprout Creek Farm (Poughkeepsie)
845-485-8438 | facebook.com/sproutcreekfarm
For more camps, see highlandscurrent.com/camps.
