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November 2023 by Brian R.
After one good summer at Timberlake, we uncovered the ugly underbelly at Farm & Wilderness. In 2023, when other camps had moved on from all Covid protocols, F & W insisted on three days of covid testing from their campers at the outset. When they finally extracted a positive test from a cabin mate of my twin boys, the 5 remaining cabin kids were separated from the camp, made to wear masks indoors and out for 10 days. About half of their session. Despite testing negative consistently. When asked why in the year 2023 they were going well beyond CDC guidelines with their policy, there were no good answers. "Unfortunately, Covid isn't behind us yet, but we gave your cabin an oreo cheesecake and they loved it." Farm and Wilderness could be a great version of itself, outdoors and unplugged and accepting and spirited, but unfortunately they are entangled in a strange ideology where they think they can control what is not controllable. Predictably it backfired. Every kid ended up with a debilitating case of norovirus at the end of the session and my twins came back upset from a summer of isolation and pariah-like exclusion from the campers. Lasting bonds weren't made and refunds weren't offered. It's their policy to make, obviously, it's just not grounded in the child's actual experience. It's grounded in fear.
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October 2023 by Scott Main
We had high hopes for this camp. I know they were challenged this year with the floods and a Covid impact at camp. My son did like his counselors and enjoyed some of the camp. I felt their communication was good with us as this was the first time he was away from home. The main problem is he got sick. They quarantined him for two days and he still was sick (vomiting). They quarantined him again. The camp communicated they had a stomach epidemic going through the camp. He relayed how sick he felt through a counselor and his aunt immediately picked him up. He was taken to the urgent care and they immediately tested him for strep throat which was positive . He had lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks at camp and was incredibly weak. I wish the camp had been more attuned to his sickness and taken him to a doctor so they could have identified his illness. I am sure all what have been fine had he not gotten so very sick.
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August 2023 by Stephen Carter
Worked three summers in this beautiful and inspiring place. Got the job there totally by chance but cannot understate the significance F&W has had on me as I’ve become an adult. Has such a unique offering, committed leadership, and incredible philosophy. It was a privilege to work with F&W, and I hope I can send my own children there in the future.
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January 2023 by Robert Audette
The seventh and last year at Barn Day Camp. We keep coming back, and the little sprite, who will soon be 11, wants to do overnight camp next year. I think that says it all!
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January 2023 by Jon Schubert
This place was very formative in my capacity to grow as a person in my 20's. Farm and Wilderness is what you make of it regardless of being on staff or being a camper.I did not take advantage of the community that was there and that is my biggest regret.Good place for kids to learn how to not be on a cell phone/tablet/ect. all day
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January 2023 by Sarah Gordon
Our daughter loves going to F&W. She’s made lasting friendships, gained confidence and independence, and can't wait to go back next summer. She loves F&W's quirky games and rustic setting (no electricity or plumbing! cabins open to the woods!) which give her a feeling of adventure. You won't find competitive team sports (unless you count nighttime Capture the Flag) or anything electronic, but you will find caring thoughtful people who try new things and love to be outside. My older daughter went there, i went as a teenager in the 80s, and my dad was a counselor in the 60s. It's a wonderful place.
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January 2023 by Kate Quarfordt
Farm and Wilderness is a truly transformative place. All three of our kids have participated in summer camp there the last two years, first as campers at Barn Day Camp and then at Timberlake and Red Spruce Grove. All three had so much fun and came back feeling challenged and inspired by how much they’d grown, the new things they’d tried, the experiences they’d shared with new friends. The community is nurturing, the food is delicious, and the traditions help kids feel like they’re part of a special legacy. Highly recommend!
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January 2023 by Joanna Slater
Loves it!! My daughter came home every day smiling excited to go back To Barn Day Camp. My son did two sessions at SAM and grew so much through the experience. He learned persistence and teamwork and responsibility on his own there. He’ll be back again this summer.
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January 2023 by Exploring Trio
Farm and Wilderness, and specifically Timberlake, is superb. Our kiddo has been welcomed from the start and calls camp their second home. Staff is highly trained, caring and energetic. Parent communications are organized, up-to-date and tech-savvy. Life at camp is creative, outdoorsy, and fun! Even when kids inevitable have their moments at camp, counselors handle it deftly. Once we found F&W, we never looked for another camp--five stars +++!
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January 2023 by Meghan Gump
Farm and Wilderness is a unique camp that emphasizes the importance of connecting with peers without the distractions of social media. It shows young people the value of working in community, pushing themselves to get something done and then gives them the gift of accomplishment. It is hard to find a place that allows our youth to live simply, work hard, and find the joy in the process. F&W is a pearl that builds confident young people who can climb mountains, swim long distances, engage in important conversations, harvest vegetables from the garden, sing at that top of their lungs, play all camp games where no one has to win, sleep in open cabins and hear the sounds of nature, be a peer advocate, chop wood, milk a cow, and just be stronger, more confident, and a wiser global citizen.
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January 2023 by Beth Guterman Chu
My kids loved F&W. They had so much fun there, learned new things, and came back feeling more independent and competent! It is a special environment where kids feel safe being their whole selves. That is a hard thing to find these days...
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January 2023 by Rosalie DiLiberto
Red Spruce Grove is an absolute haven. I highly recommend for queer youth! Every one there is very accepting, and the way you identify does not change the way you are treated. Beautiful place, too, and incredible staff.
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November 2022 by Kate Q.
Farm and Wilderness is a truly transformative place. All three of our kids have participated in summer camp there the last two years, first as campers at Barn Day Camp and then at Timberlake and Red Spruce Grove. All three had so much fun and came back feeling challenged and inspired by how much they'd grown, the new things they'd tried, the experiences they'd shared with new friends. The community is nurturing, the food is delicious, and the traditions help kids feel like they're part of a special legacy. Highly recommend!
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November 2022 by Joanna S.
Loves it!! My daughter came home every day smiling excited to go back to Barn Day Camp. My son has been a camper at SAM and it reinforced his sense of responsibility, teamwork, and persistence, especially on the trail. He will be back again this summer.
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November 2022 by Sarah G.
Our daughter loves going to F&W. She's made lasting friendships, gained confidence and independence, and can't wait to go back next summer. She loves F&W's quirky games and rustic setting (no electricity or plumbing! cabins open to the woods!) which give her a feeling of adventure. You won't find competitive team sports (unless you count nighttime Capture the Flag) or anything electronic, but you will find caring thoughtful people who try new things and love to be outside.
