Farm Camp 2015 is where it's at!

Arcadia Farm Camp is truly magical. It’s a place where kids can watch vegetables grow and creatures flutter. Where they can pull a carrot from the ground or a tomato from the vine, brush the dirt off, and take a bite! Where they can discover nature in its most pristine and true form. Where, with a little nurturing and encouragement, they can explore everything on the farm that interests them.  

We are excited to share with you the details of our 2015 program for Arcadia Farm Camp. View full program details here to get dates, camp themes, and registration information. We have a robust FAQs page to address the common questions we receive over the registration period. We invite you to explore them in full!

Registration opens on February 2nd.

Farm Camp 2014 was our best summer yet with a completely full roster of 120 campers over 4 weeks and 26 scholarship campers, more than ever before. Our scholarship campers are from low-income families and receive full scholarships funded by donations from Arcadia supporters. Hear the stories of our 2013 scholarship families in this video. We aim for 30 scholarships this year -- a quarter of our campers!

Our Farm Camp staff, made up of four incredible Farm Camp Counselors and one Farm Education Intern, creates a fun and lively environment which allows Farm Campers to flourish. Ninety percent of Farm Camp parents said that after attending their children understand where food comes from and that food production is part of the natural cycles of the earth.

Here are a few snippets of what Farm Camp Parents from last summer had to say about their child’s experience:

“She has a new appreciation for vegetables, which really exceeded our expectations.” – Young Farmers, Farm Camp Parent 2014

“They felt that the knowledge of farming that they gained was their favorite part of camp. From planting to picking to smelling mint and leaves that feel like fur, to finding out about honey being "bee barf" and seed balls.” - Farm Creatures, Farm Camp Parent 2014

“My son gained a deeper appreciation of seasonal foods and really enjoyed the food preparation.” – Seasonal Eaters, Farm Camp Parent 2014

We're making a few changes this year to make Farm Camp even more spectacular. We are again offering round-trip transportation from Old Town Alexandria to Arcadia Farm, and we’re extending the hours for this service. To better accommodate busy parents, drop off will be at 8:00 am and pick up at 4:30 pm. See full details on the website.

Early Bird Registration is discounted for those who sign up by February 23, 2015, and we also offer sibling and multi-week discounts. See our Fees and Discounts page for more details.

Every week of camp includes Farming, Food, and Fun, but each week also has a special theme with activities designed around that farm topic. Our theme weeks were so well loved last summer that we decided to keep them! However, we have made the themes more focused and specific to better suite the curiosities of our campers. They are described in depth on the website.

Farm Camp 2014 weekly themes are:

1. (July 6-10) Young Farmers: for the budding farmer and environmentalist.
2. (July 13-17): Farm Creatures: for the animal and insect fanatic.
3. (July 20-24): Seasonal Eaters: for the lover of seasonal cooking and eating,
4. (July 27-31): Small Chefs: for the rising cook and with an eye for veggies. 
   
   All Farm Campers learn to tend to the vegetables, care for the chickens, harvest produce right from the farm for making snacks, and enjoy independent play guided by their interests around the farm.               

Come out and see us! Attend our free Farm Camp Open House on Saturday, April 25th  from 1-3pm. Your budding farmers will get to explore Arcadia Farm and all the learning spaces we utilize during Camp. Look for the registration link on our Facebook page soon.

In the meantime, head over to our Farm Camp page and our FAQ page to learn more!

“In addition to the lessons about sustainable food production, we were happily surprised by our campers' growing interest in eating healthy and being a part of making a well-balanced meal at home.” – Farm Camp Parent 2014