THE BASICS
Farm Camp runs from June 29 through August 21.
Drop-off is at 9:00 am and pick-up is at 3:00 pm.
Before Care and After Care are available for separate purchase (they are included for scholarship recipients) through our website when registration opens. Before Care begins at 8:00 am. Aftercare runs until 5:30 pm.
Each week of camp is $375.
After Care is $16 per day.
Before Care is $6 per day.
Campers are grouped by age:
Carrots (4–5-year-olds)
Tomatoes (6–7-year-olds)
Broccolis (8–9-year-olds)
Zucchinis (10–12-year-olds)
Each group has approximately 12–14 campers and is staffed by one instructor and one counselor.
Refund Policy
A full refund (minus a $75 application fee per camp slot) is available if requested by May 1, 2026. After this date, refunds are not available. If your child’s attendance is interrupted due to a medical or family emergency, please let us know and we will do our best to work with you.
Due to the cost of processing credit card refunds and administrative costs, a $75 fee will be applied for cancellations.
Tax Receipt
You may retain your purchase confirmation as your receipt for tax purposes. Families deducting summer camp tuition as a childcare expense may use Common Ground Farm’s Tax Identification Number: 01-0574675.
Weather
What happens when it rains?
If we hear thunder, campers move indoors immediately. We wait the recommended amount of time after the last thunder before returning outside, folloing Department of Health guidelines.
How do you handle very hot days?
On hot days, we limit time in the production fields and prioritize time in shaded areas. Groups rotate through our air-conditioned barn classroom for indoor activities, and campers are reminded to drink water frequently. On especially hot days, we may incorporate water games and will notify families in advance so campers can pack a change of clothes.
Camp Structure
What happened to Art Week or STEM Week? Will campers still see the animals?
Instead of standalone theme weeks, art, STEM, and animal visits are part of every week. Campers paint what they observe in the garden, build and test irrigation structures, cook with harvested ingredients, and work together to solve real garden problems.
Animals remain an important part of the experience. Campers visit the barn each week and explore the pond and nearby habitats to look for frogs, insects, birds, and turtles.
This structure keeps camp varied while staying grounded in the rhythms of Common Ground. Each week reflects real conditions in the fields and garden.
What makes each week different?
The farm and surrounding land shape our days. Campers spend time in the garden and fields watering, weeding, harvesting, and observing seasonal change. What is ready, what needs care, and what we cook shift over the course of the summer.
Beyond the cultivated fields, campers walk wooded trails, visit the pond, pick wild wineberries, and look for animal tracks and birds.
STEM investigations are rooted in real farm conditions. The program centers on farm centered concerns such as weather, soil health, or tools and systems.
Art is grounded in the farm as well. Campers use materials from the land and draw visual inspiration from their surroundings in drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and collaborative projects.
Each week ends with Community Day, when campers cook and share a meal together over the fire, one which changes each week based on what is ready in the fields.
How will I know what my camper is doing?
Before each week begins, families receive a letter outlining what is growing, what campers will harvest and cook, and the art and STEM focus for the week.
And of course if you have any questions, please reach out to Kate at education@commongroundfarm.org
