2010 GROWING GREEN CAMPS
Offered Weeks 3-10
Cost: $495 /week
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About Growing Green: Calleva is constantly striving to make ourselves more self-sufficient, and farming is the perfect extension to our line-up of fantastic adventure-based programs at Calleva. This is a first-hand, start to finish introduction into the world of organic gardening, chicken and dairy goat farming. Building on the success of Mo’s “Building Green” program, Growing Green will give campers unparalleled experiences with techniques that are critical to the health of our planet all while having fun and getting dirty! This program is based at Calleva’s farm in Dickerson where we will have our Thursday overnight. Each camp week will culminate in a farmers market selling the fruits of our labors, literally! This is a new undertaking for Calleva and our Campers will make it all happen. Some of our daily activities will include:
2010 Instructor: Ben Ritter
Basic Itinerary:
Colonial Farm/Calleva Farm
See Needslist below
- Day One: Farm Tour and Introduction On the first day, we take our time getting to know the chickens, pigs and goats; explaining their needs and how they contribute to the health of the garden by creating fertilizer and consuming our food waste. We explain all the methods we will be practicing including composting, weeding, sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings and we talk a little (but not too much) about the science behind the choices we make. After lunch we will get some actual work done which could be anything from mending a fence to mixing finished compost with topsoil to prepare a bed for planting the next day.
- Day Two and Three: Get Down and Dirty These are our most productive days. Every small farm has a list of jobs so long that one could work all through every day and night and still find more ways to fix-up, streamline, and beautify. But at Calleva, we use this fact of farming to our teaching advantage. The general philosophy in the garden is to pick something you like doing and get it done. If everyone wants to do the same thing, great! That job gets done quicker and we move on. Some campers really like weeding, really. Some only want to feed the chickens. ThatÕs fine because the chickens eat weeds! And, when we give a team of campers a wheelbarrow and shovels, they usually end up moving more mulch, compost or topsoil than we need. They are just happy to be using their muscles and contributing to the group effort.
On these days lunch never comes soon enough. Anything thatÕs ripe is fair game for picking. The pleasure of eating a cucumber, tomato, lettuce sugar snap pea, or ear of sweet corn that you helped to grow is unforgettable. And when the wild Raspberries and Blackberries are out, picking some for desert is a must. Then we might finish up a chore or two but mostly we are thinking about swimming. We can take the twenty-minute hike down the hill from the Calleva farm to swim in a shallow section of the Potomac or stop at Black Rock mill for some rope swimming on the way back to afternoon council.
- Day Three: Field Trip & Overnight After morning council on Thursday, we drive straight to the Claude Moore Colonial Farm in Mclean Va. This is a fully functioning replica of a 1771 low-income farm just prior to the Revolutionary War. The animals kept on the Farm are "heritage breeds" and most of the crops are "heirloom varieties". Many of these animals and plants are considered rare and by keeping them they are helping to preserve them. The actor/farmers there churn their own butter, make their own yeast for bread and grind their own corn meal. They dress in period clothes and use only period tools. It is one of many highlights of the week. The Campers really love seeing the old farm house, (which is smaller than most modern garages) and trying out some of the old tools like a two-person saw and gourds grown specially for making ladles.
When we get back to our own farm, thereÕs time for feeding our animals and picking a few vegetables from our garden for dinner. In addition to the standard, ever-popular, Calleva overnight meals, we will add some peppers and onions, broccoli, string beans, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. For nighttime activities we play capture the flag, go on night hikes, or just sit around the fire shooting the breeze.
- Friday: Farmers Market There is never enough time on Friday mornings. But luckily, our roosters wake us up pretty early. We need a good hearty breakfast so after dragging ourselves out of our sleeping bags we pick a few potatoes and collect eggs from the chickens, slice up the potatoes and fry them to eat with our scrambled eggs (again, this is in addition to all the Standard Calleva breakfast items). Then we need to start picking whatever is ripe for the farmers market. The campers really get into this. Groups of three or four will be chopping cabbages off the stalks, digging potatoes and carrots, picking beans and herbs and washing them all off with the hose. Then we clean out our bus and load up.
During Summer 09. We usually sold our produce at the Pooles Store. Just up the road from Rileys Lock, the Poole's store has been in operation for over 100 years. This is the culmination of a weeks worth of hard work with new friends. The campers make the signs, put up the stand, make the sales and keep track of the money, some of which goes for ice cream and sodas in the store and the rest goes back to the growing green program.
The town of Poolesville is currently developing it's own farmers market that will be located in front of the town hall. We expect to be one of the main suppliers to this great new community asset.
BASIC NEEDSLIST: All campers are expected to bring everyday: Water bottle, Sun hat, Sunscreen, bug spray & Lunch. Swimsuits & Towel as Campers will also be getting wet to cool off. Calleva provides all farming equipment.
BASIC OVERNIGHT NEEDS: Sleeping Pad, Sleeping Bag, Daily Needs change of clothes, Flashlight/Headlamp, Cup, Bowl, & Spoon, Warm Jacket, Rain Gear. EXTRA LUNCH FOR FRIDAY!
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Campers will be using Power tools and farming equipment after they have been instructed about how to safely operate and protect themselves. If you wish for your child to not have that option, arrangements can be made.