Tag: nature
Why Choose Farm Camp?
A Summer That Feeds the Soul
When families start searching for the right summer camp, the options can feel endless — sports camps, art camps, adventure camps, tech camps. But there’s only one Farm Camp, where childhood curiosity, community, and connection to nature come together in the most genuine way possible.
Since 1952, Farm Camp has offered something both timeless and rare: a traditional camp experience on a real working farm, nestled among 500 acres of redwoods, creeks, and rolling coastal foothills just a mile and a half from the Pacific Ocean. Here, children trade screens for sunshine, grow their confidence through hands-on work, and discover the joy of living in harmony with the natural world.
Freedom to Choose, Freedom to Grow
At Farm Camp, campers shape their own days through our free-choice program. Every morning, they decide how they want to spend their activity time — maybe washing the puppies, helping in the garden, swimming in the lake, hiking through redwoods, or crafting something beautiful at the Osprey House.
This freedom is intentional. It empowers campers to listen to themselves, make choices, and learn by doing. By choosing what excites them, they build independence, confidence, and a sense of ownership in their own experience — lessons that last far beyond summer.
A True Community of Care
Our camp runs on community, not just in spirit, but in practice. Everyone contributes to the rhythm of daily life, from feeding animals and washing dishes to sharing stories at the dinner table. These simple, shared tasks create a sense of belonging and remind campers that their effort matters.
We believe that community is the foundation of our lives, and that living, working, and playing together nurtures the soul. At Farm Camp, friendships form naturally through cooperation and laughter, and each camper becomes part of something larger than themselves.
Rooted in Our Core Values
Everything we do grows from a deep respect for nature, people, and the interconnectedness of all living things.
- Stewardship of the earth and our diverse community is at the heart of our mission.
- Nature is our greatest teacher — a source of inspiration, healing, and balance.
- Happiness and fun are not afterthoughts, but essential to well-being.
- Integrity, compassion, and respect guide the way we live and work together.
These values don’t just exist on paper, they shape every moment of camp life, from morning chores to evening campfires.
More Than a Summer — A Lifelong Foundation
Farm Camp isn’t just a place to spend a few weeks in the summer. It’s a place where children discover who they are, connect deeply with others, and find joy in simple, meaningful living.
They go home with more than stories of campfire skits and farm animals — they take with them confidence, gratitude, and a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.
At Farm Camp, we nurture not only campers, but the goodness of the human spirit. And that’s something that lasts a lifetime.
Building Forts, Friendships, and Futures: How Camp Connects Us to Nature
At Farm Camp, everything we do is outside. We eat outside, play outside, and sometimes even sleep outside! We love that we’re able to fully connect with nature in all the various aspects of our camp lives. During our weeks at camp, we’re not just surrounded by nature, we’re fully immersed. And we can say with first hand experience, the benefits are immense.
At camp we’re able to disconnect from screens and spend more time face to face with one another. We collaborate with each other to complete chores, share our spaces kindly and to accomplish big things (like hikes) together! We spend less time worried about getting to the next thing and instead get to take our days slowly and more mindfully. When children are disconnected from technology their creativity thrives. As stated in an article from the Child Mind Institute, an “unstructured style of play also allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways” (1). One of the places where we see this creativity really come out at Farm Camp is at the park.
The park is a big area up in the woods filled with leaves, sticks and huge trees – no playground equipment in sight. Over the decades camp has been running, campers have turned this space into a fort building paradise. Campers often go to this activity with their unit mates and collaborate to create huge forts using just the things they can find on the ground. It’s not only fun and a great way to deepen connections with one another, it’s impressive too! Several campers have turned a bunch of branches and sticks into triple decker forts with fence lines, shelter areas, and places to hide their treasures.
Campers also report feeling less stressed at camp than anywhere else, and they tell us that they sleep better here too! It can be hard to say what exactly is the main cause of these benefits, as there are so many reasons that could be the case at camp. We have long, physically active days and three wonderfully healthy meals. We’re surrounded by friends and get to fall asleep giggling with one another while reflecting on everything we’ve accomplished. We’re reading instead of scrolling. And we’re more aligned with our circadian rhythms; up just a bit after sunrise and asleep an hour or two after sunset. Our campers tell us that they can actually hear themselves think and get to fall asleep to the sounds of frogs at the lake or the tides of the ocean.
In a comprehensive study done by Marcia Jimenez, they found associations “between nature exposure and improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep” (3). And in an article by the American Psychological Association they stated; “people who feel more connected to nature have greater eudaimonic well-being—a type of contentment that goes beyond just feeling good and includes having meaningful purpose in life (Journal of Happiness Studies, online first publication, 2019)” (4).
Our connection to nature doesn’t have to be something we just experience at camp. We can go on a family camping trip, go for a walk in our neighborhood park, have a picnic, or take part in a local clean up on earth day. Even just 15 minutes of time in nature per day can significantly improve our cardiovascular health by reducing our blood pressure and resting heart rate (2). Nature is part of who we are and we’re grateful to be able to share our love of nature with all of you. As San Francisco native and beat poet Gary Snyder states; “nature is not a place to visit, it is home”, we couldn’t agree more.
- Cohen, Danielle. “Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature.” Child Mind Institute, 9 Feb. 2016, childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/.
- “How Even Just 15 Minutes in Nature Can Boost Your Wellbeing.” Loughborough University, 3 Jan. 2025, www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2025/january/how-short-time-in-nature-boost-wellbeing/.
- Jimenez, Marcia P. “Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 9, 30 Apr. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8125471/, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790.
- Weir, Kirsten. “Nurtured by Nature.” American Psychological Association, vol. 51, no. 3, 2020, www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature.
