Every day this week our energetic Farm Camp Team (Farmers Christal, Beth, Kate, Jack, Ina, Thea, and Katie) is getting ready for camp-- they are excited to meet our first set of Farm Campers this coming Monday!
We’re excited for Farm Campers to explore, play, and discover the farm with our dynamic staff! Thus, we would like you to meet the Farm Camp Manager, Counselors, and Interns who are making Arcadia Farm Camp 2016 so amazing.
Our passionate Farm Education Director, Morgan Maloney, leads Arcadia's Farm & Nutrition Education Programs throughout the year and dives into Farm Camp each summer. Morgan is looking forward to this historic 5th season of Arcadia Farm Camp!
Christal Blackwell
Farm Camp Manager
Christal is originally from North Carolina, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. After completing undergrad degree in Georgia she joined AmeriCorps and moved to Miami where she served two years with City Year as a Literacy Interventionist at a middle school and as Team Leader at a high school. She recently finished my last semester of graduate studies in Community and Social Change at the University of Miami. Last summer she had the privilege of working as a summer farm camp counselor in Nevada. This summer she is looking forward to continuing to explore her passion for health, food and children as the Farm Camp Manager!
Spirit Veggie: Carrot! Because she loves the unseen process of root veggies.
Beth Blauser
Farm Camp Counselor
Elizabeth is excited to join the team at Arcadia Farm Camp! She is a bilingual teacher in Maryland public schools and resides in Arlington, Virginia. When not in the classroom, she accompanies her students on outdoor education trips. Elizabeth is also a world traveler and loves working with diverse groups of students. Come roll up your sleeves and get ready for a lot dirt and a lot of fun!
Spirit Veggie: Red leaf lettuce! Because it’s used in her favorite Korean dishes.
Kate Breinman
Farm Camp Counselor
Kate could not be more excited to be joining the Arcadia Farm Camp team! Before graduating from the University of Virginia, Kate worked with a team that helped connect low-income families to the local Farmer’s Market through children’s programming. The Power of Produce program offered nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, taste tests and $2 in market tokens to spend on fresh produce. She spent the last two years teaching 3rd grade as a Teach for America corps member in the Mississippi Delta. Her time living in a low-income community and food desert opened her eyes to the challenges these families face in trying to secure healthy options. Kate looks forward to connecting her experience in elementary education with her passion for sustainable agriculture.
Spirit Veggie: Broccoli! Because it looks like a beautiful bouquet.
Jack Colelli
Farm Camp Intern
Jack Colelli is excited to join Arcadia this summer as a Farm Camp Intern! On the farm he will be assisting counselors and staff in daily programming and activities with counselors while also conducting personal camper interviews and gathering valuable feedback about Farm Camp. Jack is a rising junior at Tufts University studying economics and environmental studies with a concentration in food systems. Last summer he worked with campers as a farm staff counselor at a summer camp in North Carolina. Jack is passionate about food and agriculture and enjoys spending time in the outdoors. Spirit Veggie: Endive!
Ina Descartes
Farm Camp Counselor
Ina has recently earned her Master’s in Arts Management from GMU, and has a background in art history, as well as arts & crafts for children. She is looking forward Farm Camp this summer as she has always had a deep passion for eating healthy, organic food, but also preserving nature, having compassion for all living beings, and looking at the bigger picture of how our eating habits influence our environment. By combining her artistic skills with hands on farm work, she wants to encourage fun learning experiences for all campers, and make sure that kids develop a sense of affinity and curiosity for the outdoors. Spirit Veggie: Cabbage! It’s versatile and a nutritious food in her home country of Germany.
Thea Klein-Mayer
Farm Camp Counselor
Thea comes to Farm Camp from the rural Virginia, where she ran programs in local food advocacy and education for The Highland Center, a nonprofit based in Highland County. While she misses the cool mountain air (and lovely friends she made there), she’s happy to be back in the DC area where she was born and raised. Prior to her work at the Highland Center, Thea was completed a fellowship in sustainable agriculture at the Allegheny Mountain School. She graduated with a degree in Environmental Science from Northwestern University and was closely involved with sustainability initiatives there, including founding a student-run garden and maintaining on-campus recycling programs.
Spirit Veggie: Beets and Brussels Sprouts! Because, simply, they are delicious.
Katie Landry
Farm Camp Counselor
Katie, a rising Junior at the University of Maryland, is a community health major where she spends the majority of her coursework on how the social and built environment impacts our health. She also was a Farm Field Trip volunteer this last spring here at Arcadia and is looking forward to seeing students again from the DC and Northern Virginia areas. Katie is a Spoken Word poet performing around DC as means for introducing difficult conversations to inspire change. This summer, she is excited to pass on culinary secrets from working in her parent’s Italian restaurant in Chicago. Spirit Veggie: Snap Pea!
