Hearty Roots Farm Camp is a unique opportunity for children to connect to the land and food with a fun and educational summertime experience. Campers will plant and harvest their own vegetables; prepare and eat locally grown vegetables; engage in arts and craft projects; visit with our farm animals; and much more!
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We are thrilled to partner with Kim Johnson and Doug Keto, who bring years of garden, farm, and science education to our camp.
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Click here to register! You can also email us at camp@heartyroots.com if you have questions or need any further information.
2024 Details
The camp will be hosted at:
29 Camp Lane, Red Hook, NY
Mondays–Fridays
9am–3pm
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2024 Sessions
Week 1: July 1–5
Week 2: July 8–12
Week 3: July 15–19
Week 4: July 22–26
Week 5: July 29–August 2nd
$425/session with discounts available for families with financial need.
Age Groups
We will host 2 age groups. Please register your child based on the grade they will be entering in the fall: 1st–4th grade; or 4th–6th grade.
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What to Bring (and Wear)
Wear clothes that can get wet or dirty
Hat with a brim
Sunglasses
Large water bottle
Lunch
2 snacks
Rain coat
Sunscreen
Closed-toed shoes (no sandals, flip-flops, etc.)
Activities
Days at camp will be packed with fun games, learning, and arts and crafts. Here are some of the activities your child can expect:
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Dig in the soil and play outdoors
Campers will explore the garden and experience the joys of farming – planting seeds, preparing the soil, composting, weeding, transplanting seedlings, watering, harvesting vegetables, and learning about the beneficial insects that help the ecosystem on the farm. Also, lots of time for outdoor play!
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Learn about the farm ecosystem
Campers will learn about the farm's ecosystem and how we grow strong, healthy plants in the children’s vegetable garden. We will learn about seeds, composting, decomposer insects, honeybees, and other pollinators.
Get to know farm animals
Campers will interact with and learn about how to care for our farm animals (chickens and sheep). They will also learn about the important role animals play on the farm.
Become a young chef
What’s the best way to harvest fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden, and how do you transform those ingredients into a delicious meal? Campers will learn how to follow a recipe, practice cooking skills, and discover the joy of preparing a meal together using fresh produce from the farm.
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Make green Arts and crafts
Deepen your relationship with the natural world by getting creative and expressing yourself! Projects may include creating collages from found natural materials, flower wreaths, making nature forts, science experiments, experimenting with natural dye plants, and much more!
About the Staff
Kim Johnson, Camp Director
Kim has worked with Hearty Roots Farm for the past 4 years and is beyond excited to bring her passion for food, farming and education to the Hearty Roots Summer Camp in Red Hook. Prior to her work at Hearty Roots, she worked with Edible Schoolyard NYC in their professional development workshops and as a garden volunteer in the Edible Schoolyard Garden at P.S. 216. She then went on to work for the Afterschool Department at Avenues: The World School where she taught gardening programs for Pre-K Early Learners. She led educational field trips and workshops at Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm through their non-profit City Grower’s and taught thousands of students throughout the five boroughs about urban farming, beekeeping and composting. She went on to establish City Grower’s “Summer in the Soil” Camp at Arts & Letters School as the Program Director and continued to expand their educational programs into after school workshops. After years of teaching gardening programs in the city she caught the “farming bug” as they say and decided to further her education in organic farming after apprenticing with Farm School NYC. She has worked for organic farms in Ithaca, NY and here in the Hudson Valley for the last 6 years.
Doug Keto, Instructor
Doug Keto is the beloved Garden Instructor at Mill Road School. Along with managing an engaging school garden, Doug offers classroom instruction to students from kindergarden through 5th grade on everything from cooking to science and farming. Read more about his work and vision here.
Questions? Email us at camp@heartyroots.com!
Hearty Roots Farm Camp is not regulated by the New York State Department of Health.