Farm Camp 2024
Join us this summer for an opportunity to explore connections between nature and farming at Rocky Creek Farm!
Week-long sessions give campers the chance to be farmers, explorers, scientists, and artists while growing their sense of connection to the land.
Our mission
At Farm Camp, our mission is to engage campers with local agriculture and landscapes by inspiring connection to the land, sense of place, and confidence as members of the natural community.
Our methods
Our education staff is committed to experiential teaching, connecting with nature, working cooperatively, and intentional play. Many things on the farm might be new or intimidating to campers, and our staff finds it valuable to gently encourage campers to try new things and engage with new experiences they encounter.
Schedule and Themes
Camp takes place from 9am to 3:30pm in the woodlands, fields, streams, barns, and meadows at Rocky Creek Farm.
Each week has a different theme, but the overall structure of camp is as follows:
Campers start their day with a morning meeting and some light stretching. Once everyone is limbered up and ready for the day ahead, we do our morning chores. Pigs need to get fed, chickens cared for, and seedlings watered. With chores completed we start our first workshop block of the day. This might be collecting plants to dye wool, transplanting basil, or embarking on a scavenger hunt to learn what’s going on at the farm. Around mid-day we find a shady spot to eat lunch, have some free time, and practice journaling in “sit-spots”. In the afternoon we enter our second workshop block. We may visit the stream to search for critters, collect flowers to make bouquets, or chop up some vegetables to pickle. To finish the day we spend some quality time with the chickens, collect eggs, and get together for a debrief before heading home. On the last day of camp, campers spend time harvesting and preparing an afternoon snack to share with their families.
Our camps have grown immensely in the past few years, and to satisfy this growing demand, we are excited to expand upon our offerings from previous years! Rather than running one camp per week, we are now offering two camps simultaneously, one for each age category.
June 24-28
Garden Magic!
Ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
In this magical adventure through the garden, campers will see our farm come alive with vibrant vegetables, heroic herbs, fantastic fruits, and rambunctious roots! Tap into your sense of fantasy and discover the wonder and joy of gardening while learning the basics of how to start and care for your very own garden at home. During this week, campers will have the opportunity to plan and create the Camp Garden, which will be tended throughout the summer by other campers!
July 8-12
Junior Farmer and leadership program!
6th-8th grade
We are very excited this year to once again be offering this camp focused on farming and leadership skills for campers entering 6-8th grade! Through this program, campers will dive deep into the techniques and theories of farming, and learn how to be exemplary leaders for other young campers excited to be learning on the farm. Throughout the week, campers will practice their leadership skills as they lead games and activities for the littles camp happening that week on the farm.
Animal Week!
ages 4-6
Animals reign supreme this week at Rocky Creek Farm. Join us for a week of caring for baby chicks, herding sheep and using their wool, and capturing butterflies. You might even learn to give a belly rub to a pig! Through hands on activities, games, and creative projects, campers will learn how to engage with animals, both domestic and wild, in the Rocky Creek Farm community.
July 15-19
Animal Week!
ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
Animals reign supreme this week at Rocky Creek Farm. Join us for a week of caring for baby chicks, herding sheep and using their wool, and capturing butterflies. You might even learn to give a belly rub to a pig! Through hands on activities, games, and creative projects, campers will learn how to engage with animals, both domestic and wild, in the Rocky Creek Farm community.
July 22-26
Nature’s Meaning!
Ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
An homage to our first ever farm camp here at Rocky Creek, this week campers will form a deep relationship with the natural areas of the farm, and explore the connections between nature and farming. The forests, grasslands, and marshes will provide the backdrop for creative play, art, and science as campers learn to thrive in the wild. Like coyotes or deer, campers will dash onto the farm for a quick snack, but their home for the week will remain in the woods.
July 29-August 2
Water week!
ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
Water splashes through this week of aquatic exploration. See the farm from the perspective of the water that brings it all to life! Starting from the Rocky Creek, the water moves into our fields and pastures and fills our produce and animals. Campers will follow water's path and discover the creatures and plants, both wild and domestic, that rely on this vital resource.
August 5-9
Farming Foodies!
Ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
Have you ever wondered where pickles come from, how pesto is made, or what sauerkraut is? This week campers will become the ultimate foodies, exploring all of the foods produced on the farm and learning new and exciting culinary skills. We will follow the cycle of food from seed to table as we harvest and prepare tasty items from around the farm. Hope you’re hungry!
August 12-16
Flowers!
ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
Flowers are beautiful in sight and scent, but they are also so much more! Come bask in the beauty of flowers as we discover the power of pollinators, the delicacy of edible blossoms, and the many ways to create art from flowers. This week is sure to delight the senses!
August 19-23
Farmer’s Guild!
Ages 4-6 and 1st-5th grade
This week, campers will form a farmers guild consisting of artists, craftspeople, thespians, and naturalists. Campers will practice self sufficiency as we use the fruits of the farm to create art, construct crafts, and tell the exciting story of farming through theater. Through the process of creation, we will discover the natural beauty of farming as we draw inspiration from the landscape around us.
Pricing and refund Policy
$350 per week
Tuition is fully refundable (less a $75 registration deposit) up to 30 days prior to the starting date. Cancellations within 30 days may receive a partial refund of 50%, and no refund will be rewarded for a cancellation within 7 days of the start.
If you wish to receive a refund, email Mellanie Lerum at RockyCreekEducation@gmail.com
Scholarships
Thanks to the generous support of our community, we are very excited to be able to offer need based scholarships this year! Through our scholarship program, we hope to provide equitable access to our programming for the Bozeman community. If you feel that tuition present a significant financial barrier to registration, please follow the link to apply!
ALL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT LEAST 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE START OF THE SESSION
YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER AS WELL, JUST FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM AND WE WILL CONTACT YOU.
Scholarships are fulfilled on a first come first serve basis
If you would like to donate to our scholarship fund, please email Mellanie Lerum at RockyCreekEducation@gmail.com
Questions or comments?
Email our Education Director, Mellanie Lerum, at RockyCreekEducation@gmail.com