Mentor in Training Program at Bread & Butter Farm!
We're so thrilled you've made it here.
What is the MIT Program?
MIT stands for “Mentor in Training.”
Our MIT program is one of the most important pieces of our summer camp. We deeply believe in your ability to make powerful positive change in their community and the broader world and we see you, our MITs, at the heart of our summer camp program. The bridge that you will naturally create between campers and staff is a key piece to solidifying a whole community. You can really see it too; the kids will be drawn to you and curious about who you are, wanting to get to know you, and simultaneously, at times the staff members will lean on you for support, ideas, and energy! As an MIT, we will expect you to help us create safe spaces and exciting opportunities for our campers.
Throughout your week with us, you’ll find there to be a natural blend of social engagement and internal growth. There is plenty of time in your day to engage with your peers one on one, play with, mentor, and teach our campers, and additionally, spend time in a more reflective and introspective space, deepening your relationship with yourself, your community, and the land on which you live.
The MIT program runs in conjunction with the 9 weeks of Camp Bread & Butter. Each week we have a maximum of roughly 6 MIT's. As an MIT, you are expected to attend our pre-camp staff training in order to meet with our camp staff and gain a full understanding of our camp culture. During a typical camp day, our MITs can be found doing anything from prepping farm fresh snack, harvesting in the greenhouse, leading a game of soccer, teaching a workshop on friendship bracelet making, having a dance party, running water games, telling stories, building fire, whittling, or engaged in a group discussion around land ethics and social justice. The day is as diverse as the individuals in the program!
Who is this right for?
Our Mentor in Training Program is designed for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15. This is an incredible opportunity for folks ranging from no prior leadership experience to those with plenty of experience.
We are an open-hearted and open-minded community welcoming individuals of all races, ethnicity, religions, genders, identities, and affiliations. We seek teenagers who are willing and ready to be active role models in our community, representing our core values: acceptance, tolerance, enthusiasm, creativity, play, and hard work. We keep our staff to MIT ratio small so that each MIT can receive a breadth of opportunities as well as individualized support. This program is meant for folks who want to get a taste for responsibility and a HUGE dose of summer fun!
Our camp is held nearly entirely outside (excepting any dangerous weather).
What can you expect?
As an MIT, you are expected to attend the pre-camp MIT Day. This is a half day of orientation to the farm, getting to know one another, preparation for being an MIT, group games, learning about camp and its traditions, and more. During your camp week(s) with us, we expect you to arrive at camp every day by 8:30 to participate in MIT morning meeting to get ready for the day ahead!
You will help run morning farm chores which include greenhouse work, animal chores, grounds keeping, and snack prep. You will be expected to co-teach, with the support of a staff member, your own guild and will play a HUGE part in helping run our EGGs (Epic Group Games) that happen once a week.
As an MIT, we encourage you to share with us any special interests or goals you may have for your time at camp and we will give you the freedom and support to design your time with that in mind. Throughout a week of camp, MITs are given the opportunity to engage with Bread & Butter farmers and other guests during MITSHOP (MIT + Workshop). Some examples of MITSHOP topics include: learning the ways of pastured farm animals, environmental art, traditional fire methods, tomato trellising, dreaming big and achieving your goals, soil health, how to write your own song, gluten free/grain free baking and nutrition, and much more!
MIT Daily Flow
Mentoring in Action
8:30 Arrival for pre-camp Morning Meeting: talk about the day and learn/play great group games
9:00 Campers arrival: MITs help greet and play
9:30 Full Camp Morning Meeting
10:00 Chores: MIT help lead chores with support of camp staff
10:45 Snack
11:00 Guild 1: MIT lead or in support role
12:00 Lunch
Leadership Development
12:45 Sit Spot: a time to sit solo somewhere on the land and ground down, calm the mind, and get to know the magic and nuance of one particular spot
1:00 Afternoon MIT game/activity/challenge/hang out
1:30 MITSHOP: For the next hour, MITs practice hard skills and soft skills working with one another, farmers, and special guests
2:30 Integrate back with full camp for free time/snack/closing circle
3:00 Pick up
MITSHOP Example Schedule
Monday: Plant and Soil Deep Dive: learn how Bread and Butter Farm grows veggies/herbs all year round and about the deep science of soil health. Participate in harvesting, bed preparations, and any veggie/herb chores that need our help!
Tuesday: MIT Fire: we will all trek up to the beloved Knoll to spend some time practicing traditional fire methods (flint and steel, fire by friction), have some time to get to know (or reunite) with the land, and engage in a meaningful group discussion
Wednesday: Farmer/Guest-Lead Workshop: one of our fantastic farmers/community members will be leading a workshop with you centered around the theme of the week. Topics might be:
Herb-based healing and plant medicine
Learn new techniques for honing the body, mind, and spirit to achieve your top human potential
Pasture health and animal health = human health
Earth-based environmental art
Visualizing, goal setting, and dreaming big
Gluten-free baking and optimizing nutrition for feeling your best
MIT Jam Band
The hero/heroine’s journey
Thursday: EGG (Epic Group Game): Help camp staff run the EGG by getting into character and costume and creating a new world for campers to explore!
Friday: Camp Farm Store: MITs will prep and run the camp store
Camp Bread & Butter 2024 Themes
CAMP OVERVIEW: We believe organizing our summer weeks into themes allows new and returning campers alike a fresh lens for experiencing the rich array of opportunities that the farm land provides. Please note, however, that each and every week of camp will cater to every kind of camper, whether artist, athlete or future farmer. While we recommend looking towards themes your kiddo is most excited about, rest assured that any session of camp will contain programming from each and every theme, and will be grounded in the experience of life on the farm.
Here are the descriptions of the Summer 2024 Kids Programs at Bread & Butter Farm!
Week 1 - Farmer in Training (June 17-21) - We love to kick off our summer programs with Farmers in Training! All kids who come to Bread & Butter for ANY week will learn about the farm, our philosophy of land, plant, and animal management, and our reverence for the land that sustains us all. FIT week offers kids the opportunity to dig into life on our farm, taking on new roles and responsibilities. They'll learn about soil health and growing food, caring for animals by allowing them to be as wild as possible, the interaction between our farm animals and the wilderness, our farm store and how we sell our food to our community. The kids are truly immersed into day-to-day life on the farm and engage with the people/farmers and the plants and animals alike! We love kicking off the summer programs right away with helping to nurture the next generation of farmers!
During the June week, kids should expect to participate in seeding, planting, weeding, harvesting as well as playing with baby piglets. During the month of June, the farm is in full coming-alive mode and waking up after the long winter and slow spring!
Week 2 - Artisans / Arts & Crafts (June 24-28) - This week will focus on cultivating our creative spirits! From flower crowns to fairy houses, painting and ceramics, we’ll explore different ways of bringing our imaginations out into the beauty of the world around us. Artisans week will culminate in a craft fair showing off your camper's hard work and ingenuity.
Week 3 - Food #1 (July 1-3) - Please note that this camp is three days because of the July Fourth holiday - We are thrilled to offer Food week twice this year! Food week at Camp B&B focuses on the connections between what we grow and what we eat, highlighting the beauty of being in close connection with the lives we take into ourselves as food, whether plant or animal. This week will focus on the incredible plants growing all around us, and how we can work with them to sustain us, whether as food or health helpers. Kids can expect to sample and enjoy delectable treats from the farm.
Week 4 - Athletes (July 8-12) - Calling all Olympians! Athletes week at the farm will offer an opportunity to play hard, experience new physical challenges and even learn about where and how competition arose. From wiffle ball to archery, basketball to soccer, slack line to obstacle courses, we invite athletes of all sizes and abilities to come play and train with us but, most of all, to have fun. We will have many opportunities for competition this week AND we will always have non-competitive options for kids to participate in! This week will be a wonderful balance of sports and competition along with grounding land and farm skills and activities.
Week 5 - Animals #1 (July 15-19) - Learn about the animals on the farm and in our natural surroundings. What does it take to properly care for these creatures? How do we balance the responsibility of raising and working with our farm animals vs. the wild animals that live on this land and contribute to its health and beauty. From farm cats to barred owls, from cows, pigs, and chickens to snakes, opportunities will abound for animal lovers to engage. Campers will learn to care for, connect with, and respect the animals that form our land and farm community.
Week 6 - Food #2 (July 22-26) - Food week at Camp B&B focuses on the connections between what we grow and what we eat, highlighting the beauty of being in close connection with the lives we take into ourselves as food, whether plant or animal. This week will focus on the incredible plants growing all around us, and how we can work with them to sustain us, whether as food or health helpers. Expect kids to sample and enjoy delectable treats from the farm!
Week 7 - Animals #2 (July 29 - August 2) - Learn about the animals on the farm and in our natural surroundings. What does it take to properly care for these creatures? How do we balance the responsibility of raising and working with our farm animals vs. the wild animals that live on this land and contribute to its health and beauty. From farm cats to barred owls, from cows, pigs, and chickens to snakes, opportunities will abound for animal lovers to engage. Campers will learn to care for, connect with, and respect the animals that form our land and farm community.
Week 8 - Wilderness Explorers (August 5-9) - Camp B&B takes to the woods for a whole week! We’ll re-wild ourselves by practicing wilderness survival skills such as orienteering, fire building, and foraging, singing songs and taking time to become comfortable in the mysteries of the forests and lands to which we belong. We will explore our woods further afield and allow ourselves more adventure beyond camp base.
Week 9 - Legends & Lore (August 12-16) - Legends & Lore week will once again finish out the summer 2024 program. This week is an epic week that allows for creative room to explore the legends and history of Bread & Butter Farm and beyond! This week we will spotlight stories and storytelling, poetry and song, and invite our campers to participate once again in the legendary Dragon Quest. Mentors are known to get a little wacky and legendary this week, so this week is for the brave campers!!
Rap by MITs of 2019 Music Week - "The Tree Named Clark"
Once there was a tree named Clark
One day he went to the park
He brought his ladder along the way
Just so he could save the day
He stepped on the ladder and up he goes
What’s at the top? NOBODY KNOWS!
He climbed all day until it got dark
He slipped and fell but was saved by his bark
He laid on the ground
‘Til Mark came around
They decided that they needed to travel
And here’s where it all unravels
They built a ladder up to the sky
To climb and climb so very high
Why did they have the need to go?
They wanted to see Michael Angelo
Then along came a parrot,
Wielding a carrot . . . Saw
Saw Saw Saw,
Saw Saw Saw
Down with the ladder . . . BOOM
Then along came Todd the awesome pool
With his pirate accent he seemed so cool
From afar they saw lumberjack Jaret
And upon his shoulder was that sneaky parrot
“Sorry, I need your driftwood please
To keep me afloat in these stormy seas”
“You’ll never get my thick thick bark
For I am the almighty Clark”
They entered the rarest sea farers scuffle
They had really gotten into a big kerfuffle
So distracted by their raging blaze
They failed to notice the Kraken in the haze
Hitting the ocean with full force it gave
Sending them to shore on a mighty wave
Standing up, back on land
Jaret gave the trees a helping hand
As they waved Todd adieu
They realized they had so much to do
After their voyage they parted ways
Until their next adventure days
Clark and Mark went falling down
Into the ocean where they almost drowned
