Year 5 Reflections - Part 1: How Farm Camp Is Growing a Kinder World

Wow—Year 5 was one for the books!  The campers, the staff, the visiting farmers, even the weather seemed to be cheering us on.  As I sift through the photos and memories, I realize there’s no way to fit all my gratitude and lessons learned into a single post, so consider this the first installment of my Year 5 reflections.

From “Is Farm Camp a Good Fit?” to a Movement of Inclusion

I know I've shared this story in more detail multiple times, but in case you're new around here - here is a brief synopsis to kick us off and set the scene.

Just before registration opened for our second summer, a mom called to ask if Farm Camp could work for her son. She shared that her son was autistic and she described how other children sometimes drifted away at playgrounds and wondered if camp might feel the same. She knew her son loved the outdoors and plants and animals and wanted him to be in positive settings with his peers. I shared my background of working with children with disabilities and promised we would walk alongside her, learning as we went.

That conversation became a turning point. We learned more that summer than we ever could have imagined, and I’ll forever be grateful for her trust and for her son's eagerness to be part of Farm Camp. Their willingness to say, “Let’s try” planted the seed for what Farm Camp has grown into today.

By the Numbers: Accommodations Keep Doubling

After our second year of camp we had a generous donation come to the farm and we decided to have that be the start of our scholarship fund - a fund that pays for accommodations such as extra staff needed for campers with disabilities. Meeting these accommodations means we can ensure all children can participate fully in camp alongside their non-disabled peers. In a really beautiful way, we’ve watched our reach expand every single year:

• Year 2: 1 camper requested an accommodation

• Year 3: 2 campers

• Year 4: 4 campers

• Year 5: 8 campers—doubling again!

  
  

As this summer approached, it became clear our scholarship fund was short. To adequately support the 8 accommodation requests throughout the summer, we needed more money in the scholarship fund to pay the appropriate staff. We turned to you—our community—and the response left us speechless.

Three Things Your Giving Taught Me

1. Inclusion matters to all families. Many donors were parents whose own children didn’t need extra support. Their gifts said to me "Every child deserves to belong here, and my child benefits when that’s true."

2. Kindness knows no zip code. Contributions poured in from across the country—guests we have met through our Airbnb or Harvest Host travelers who spent a night here on the farm, people who may never see Farm Camp in person yet still believe in what happens here.

3. Generosity persists, even in uncertain times. Budgets feel tight for everyone these days, yet you opened your hands anyway. You reminded me that hope is practical: it looks like passing the hat so a child has the opportunity to experience camp to the fullest, just like everyone else.

   
   

So What Does Inclusion Look Like on the Ground?

All summer long I watched tiny, beautiful moments unfold:

“Why does he make those noises?” a camper asked about her non‑speaking peer.

“Words are a little harder for him," the staff explained. “Those sounds tell us when he’s happy or upset—kind of like how we shout or laugh.”

There was a pause...

“I think he’s happy when I sit next to him.”

Yes, he absolutely is!

• Campers clasping hands with a friend who is blind, guiding him down the trail.

• A spontaneous dance circle forming around a camper who can’t quite articulate his thoughts but beams when the music starts.

• A group helping a peer with Down syndrome navigate the steep creek bank, cheering when she makes the leap to the sandbar.

• Kids inviting someone who tends to wander to stick with the game—“We need you on our team!”

  
  

Every afternoon, these moments surfaced in staff debriefs as the highs of their day. I reminded them: This is why we do what we do. Yes, we teach kids where eggs come from and that just because a cow has horns doesn't make it a bull, but more importantly, we’re nurturing empathy, patience, and genuine friendship. Inclusion isn't JUST important for the child with a disability, but for ALL.

These interactions between campers did not come out of pity, but out of a deep desire to include and a recognition that at times we all need a little more support.

Why Farm Camp Is About More Than Agriculture

The farm is our classroom, but maybe kindness is the curriculum. By weaving children with disabilities into farm camp life —petting chickens, making crafts, and dancing at the end of the camp day— we’re raising a generation that sees difference not as a detour but as part of the trail map.

I truly believe Farm Camp is helping make the world a kinder place. And if Year 5 is any indication, our journey is just getting started.

Thank YOU for giving, for cheering, and for believing in something so special!

Stay tuned for more Year 5 reflections!