Happy Friday! Today marks the end of our first week of camp. Our final day included plenty of adventures!
Throughout the week, our regular animal chores included tending to the sheep, goats, chickens and ducks. Friday brought a new experience for many of the campers as they were finally able to meet and groom a few of the horses! Miss Louise taught them about the different types of brushes that can be used on a horse and how to treat them with care. The Pepper groups showed respect for the horses and cooperated with one another by taking turns to groom.
Miss Madeline led campers on a Wagon Ride around Tollgate. Their trip took them past the woods, around the fields and down by the Sugar Shack. Orange Peppers showed wagon safety by staying seated during their ride and keeping all body parts in the wagon. Way to go Orange Peppers!
The smell of sautéing veggies throughout the day was wonderfully fragrant! Campers helped Miss Emma make Sweet Potato and Chard Hash during Garden Kitchen. Chard was a leafy green that many were unfamiliar with, but pleasantly surprised to find they enjoyed. The recipe and photos are posted below.
Sweet Potato Chard Hash
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
- 2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes
- 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Garlic salt, cumin, oregano to taste
- 3 cups rainbow chard leaves chopped with stems removed
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel sweet potatoes and chop into ¾ inch cubes. Bake on a greased baking sheet for 40 minutes or until softened. Heat oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add desired spices and sweet potatoes and stir until mixed. Add chard on top and allow to steam for about 30 seconds, then stir until just wilted.
It was a hot week! This called for a Friday afternoon cool-off with Mr. Mister and some art reflection. Pepper groups took turns playing in the sprinklers and even got some Stewards, SITs and EduLeaders to join in the water play! Red and Purple Peppers reflected on their camp experiences by painting things they did and observed around the farm.
Each of the Pepper groups made bee hotels this week. The Red Peppers placed theirs near a garden in hopes of enticing the bees to pollinate some of the plants that are growing close by.
Before we could say farewell for the week, we ended our Green Science Adventure Camp and Horse Camp with songs and skits from each of the Pepper Groups and our friends from Horse Camp. Thank you to everyone who helped make this first week of a camp a success! We’re looking forward to more fun as the summer goes on.
The link below will take you to more photos from our awesome week! https://photos.app.goo.gl/XhTcrXahFX91RkMBA.