Camp Bread & Butter 2024 was amazing! Thanks for joining us!

Signups will begin in early 2025 for next summer!

We ask that families limit themselves to a maximum of THREE weeks per camper and FOUR weeks per MIT; if you register for more than this, we will be in touch with you to reduce that number to three. This will help us share the Vermont farm camp experience with as many children as possible.

Questions about camp? Email education@breadandbutterfarm.com.

A note about camp enrollment: We realize that our camp weeks fill up quickly, and we acknowledge that this can be frustrating for those who don’t get a spot. It might help to know that we view our summer camp program as part of the overall Bread & Butter Farm experience. This is why our sign-up days are staggered in order to give our farm members a greater likelihood of enrollment. We wish we could take all the campers off our waitlist (for some weeks, our waitlist is more than 100 names long), but our program is intentionally small, and we can’t take everyone.

Our Annual Members (who participate on a deeper level with our farm year-round) - if enrolled as members prior to January 1st - are given first choice of our camp weeks, followed by returning camp families who have been with us for years. After that, we are able to open our registration to the general public. This is done with the intention of building deeper relationships and fostering year-round farm engagement.

If you come to enroll for camp and find that your desired week(s) are full, we do encourage to place your child on our waitlist. Most of our returning camp families originally came from our waitlists! If and when spots open up, we will be in touch.

OFFERINGS FOR CAMP 2024

Camp Bread & Butter for Robins (campers aged 5-7) , Coyotes (campers aged 8-10) and Eagles (campers aged 11-12) – 9 weeks available; $350 weekly tuition

Mentor In Training (MIT) for teens (aged 13-15) who are excited to build their leadership skills, work with younger kiddos, spend time on the farm and in the woods – 9 weeks available; $225 weekly tuition — More about our MIT program here.

Junior Counselors – We will have limited number of Junior Mentor positions available for teens who have “graduated” from our MIT program (aged 16+) and who interview with the Camp Manager – PAID POSITION, number of weeks varies based on need of the camp

Email education@breadandbutterfarm.com with any pressing questions and keep an eye out for registration to open. We are so excited to see you this summer!

Also, we are excited to offer two additional program weeks for our Village School kids. *Please note - these two weeks are open first to kids who have previously been in our Village School. To learn more about summer Village School, click here.

Camp Bread & Butter is a week-long journey through the worlds of farming, cooking, outdoor survival skills, crafts, archery, and epic group games guided by a talented and supportive farm and wilderness education team. On this beautiful land between the Green and Adirondack mountains, campers ages 5-12 learn experience the joy and magic of connecting with the land through farm chores, guilds, and games. Through the work and play of summer on the farm, we learn together to illuminate the connections between land, plants, animals and people that nurture healthy communities. 

Camp Goals:

• To facilitate the creation of on-farm community within the context of each week's theme. Based on underlying principles of acceptance, care, respect, and fun, to support the growth and confidence of each of our campers as a member of a vibrant ecological community.

• To facilitate a general understanding of the relationships between land, soil, plants, animals, people, communities, and the networks that nourish them. Additionally, to transfer specific skills and knowledge that campers can build upon from year to year.

• To honor and celebrate the diversity and differences in our farm and camper community. To integrate and reflect on principles of social justice as they relate to people as well as plants, animals, and Earth. To strive towards a vision of community and strength through difference.

  • Note: It is our expressed goal that finances are not a barrier to your family's involvement. If you are unable to attend Camp Bread & Butter because tuition is unaffordable at this time please email us to discuss options. We will do our very best to make it work for you and your family!

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 (and a lower tuition) 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!!

Camp Staff 

We keep a 5:1 camper to staff ratio and our counselors possess a diverse array of unique skill sets. We hire our staff with the goal to create a safe and enriching summer experience wherein each camper's interests are valued and supported in a nurturing community. Camp staff holds different levels of front and backcountry First Aid certification and includes a pediatric nurse who lives on farm.  

Our core staff is supported by an awesome and talented group of up to five Mentors in Training (MIT's), who participate in full camp activities as well as their own unique program. Our MIT program is open to ages 13-15, and is an amazing way to continue learning and growing on the farm after finishing one's camper years!

Daily Flow 

Our daily flow is an important piece of our summer camp. Our whole community participates in this grounded routine which provides a sense of comfort for all and great potential to effectively illuminate the beauty all around us. Here you'll find a typical daily flow, with some aspects flexible to change: 

A Day in the Life of a Bread & Butter Camper

9:00* Arrival
9:15 Gathering Circle: silly songs, skits, talk about the day, announcements. 
9:45 Farm Chores
10:30 Snack
10:45 Guild 1: guilds are our self-directed activities that last for about one hour. Each counselor offers a guild ranging from archery, comic book creation, improv, farm band, cooking, harvesting and A TON MORE! 
11:45 Gather and prep for lunch
12:00 Lunch/Free time
12:45 Sit Spot: sit spot is the one time of the day we encourage campers to find their own quiet space to slow down and take in their day on the farm. 

*Note: Early/After Care available from 8:00-9:00 and 3:00-5:00 at an added expense.
 

Early/after care

Early/After care: Early and after care will be available this year at a cost of $50/week for early care and $75/week for after care (up until 5:00 p.m.) We ask that families please realize that our aftercare program is not an extension of the camp day, but rather a childcare option for families that cannot pick up at 3:00. To sign up for early or after care, email us after you have successfully registered for camp and let us know what week(s) and options you’ll need.

Cancellations

Cancellation policies: Cancellations before April 15th will receive a full refund minus $75 admin fee. From April 16th to June 1st, there is a 50% refund for cancellation. Beginning June 2nd, we are unable to offer refunds.

Refunds for specific personal reasons (family emergency, etc.) will be handled individually and we will refund on a case-by-case basis. 

Special Assistance

If your child requires assistance above and beyond normal daily supervision in order to fully access our camp program, we will need to speak with you about this before the camp season begins. Our camp staff is experienced and trained in normal camp operations but does not have special education training and is not able to provide one-on-one supervision during the camp day. If your child needs special assistance during the course of our programs, their participation may be contingent upon the family’s ability to provide that extra supervision, possibly at an added expense. Please contact us as soon as possible if you think this contingency might apply to your family.

If we find during the course of a session or season that a camper needs assistance above and beyond our normal camp functions, we may need to limit their participation and will discuss this with you at that time.