Thanks for letting herSad Farewell to Bennie
Posted By: Kelly Marston on 4/25/2008
Sometimes, life on the farm has sad moments that catch us up short. This past week Bennett, or Bennie, one of the camp dogs, died of stomach cancer. He'd been sick this winter and at first the vet couldn't find out what it was. Sadly, what they did find was very serious and even with lots of love and being taken care of by Dave and Suzanne the illness was too much.
Thinking of camp without Bennie makes me very sad. His was one of the first greetings I got when I first came to the farm. And, it was Bennie who patiently taught Joplin how to be a good farm dog. I vividly remember the two of them playing when Joplin was just 8 weeks old. Joplin was jumping all over Bennie, pouncing, growling and being as "fierce" as a little furry puppy can be and Bennie just kept letting him. That is until Joplin got a little too rough. Then I looked over and Bennie had a paw on Joplin's back and had fit his whole mouth around Joplin's head. Lesson over and back to play.
Bennie was truly a big love. He was always ready to wag his tail, snuggle in your sleeping bag, run out to the lake. He took care of every abandoned lamb that was bottle fed so well that they might not have missed their mothers. He was a great dog, a great part of camp, and we will miss him very much.
Happy Earth Day!
Posted By: John Chakan on 4/22/2008
When I was a boy, Earth Day seemed a bit overwhelming. I mean, I know, it's important to take care of the Earth, but what could I, one little boy (okay, I wasn't ever all that little). When I was a boy, the problems facing the environment were also so big and abstract (I remember being terrified by the concept of "acid rain"). Nowadays, everyone knows much more about global warming, overburdened landfill, polluted waterways, and endangered animal species. It still seems overwhelming, but we know much more, and there are things that all of us can do, and we can make a difference.
One of the things that I learned at Plantation, and that I continue to learn, is that we can make an impact. By recycling our food (edible to the pigs, inedible to the compost pile), repurposing some of our trash (crocheting plastic grocery bags), and recycling wherever possible, we have greatly reduced the amount of trash we generate at camp. For a community of 150 people in the summer, we fill our dumpster one and a half times. That means less waste going into the ground, not to mention less gas used driving it to the waste station.
I am always pleased when I hear of Plantation campers who have gone home and started their own compost pile. It's easy to set up, no matter where you live. From backyard stacking boxes to countertop tumblers, everyone can compost their organic waste. Then, you can grow your own food. Even in a small apartment, I grew basil and cilantro on my windowsill.
I could (and probably will) write a lot about food, but on the topic of making an impact, take it from us at camp: buy local, buy fresh, buy organic. By suporting local farmers, you reduce the carbon footprint of your food. They, in turn, will continue to grow healthier (tastier!) food. You will feel better also, eating food from your own "backyard".
We can make a difference. We do every day. Enjoy your Earth day.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
A day at the farm
Posted By: John Chakan on 4/17/2008
So, I got up at 4 am yesterday morning to drive up to the farm. Yes, an early start to the day, but it was an absolutely beautiful morning, driving up the coast. When I got to Plantation, the farm was in great shape. The reason for my trip, however, was not to enjoy the scenery, but to help our vet check out our animals. We started with the cats...at least the ones that Jenny and I could catch. While we vaccinated a respectable six out of ten, there are still fours cats that we will need to track down and inject before camp.
Next up were the goats. Topaz is healthy and well. Then we headed up to the cow barn to visit the larger animals. We brought all of cows down into the corral. Most of them went easily into the corral chute (though again, a couple needed some persuasion). Daphne (our dairy cow) and her daughter, Lulu, continue to be healthy and well. The horses also got a once over, and two of them (Tai and Moreno) had their teeth "floated" (basically grinded down with a cool power drill).
Next week, I will head back up to take care of the sheep (they didn't feel like coming down to the corral yesterday). We also will be planting the garden next weekend. I will be uploading pictures to the Photo Gallery tomorrow, so check them out.
Finding community like Plantation
Posted By: Kelly Marston on 4/16/2008
This past weekend I attended a retreat in Big Sur. It was some much-needed R&R and gathering energy to start a great camp season. While at Esalen I met really interesting people and thoroughly enjoyed myself. What really struck me during the experience was how like Plantation Esalen is. Some of the similarities are:
- There was a beautiful garden in which they grew a lot of the produce that we ate (sound familiar).
- Treating everyone with respect was an integral part of the experience. Each person was valuable and their special contributions acknowledged.
- While there were indoor spaces (yes I slept in a cabin not a tent), the outdoor space were the focus and central to the experience.
- We ate outdoors being able to savor the wonderful food (though our food at camp was much better), the nature that surrounded us, and the great company.
Perhaps the biggest thing that struck me was that other guests were envious that I got to be a part of such a strong community all the time. Between communicating with alumni and current families and being at camp all summer, I am reminded what a powerful place Plantation is.
Summers at Plantation are truly a special time. Campers and staff come together to have fun, but also to be a part of something that is all too rare in our world. We all live on a sustainable farm raising much of the food that we eat, treating all living creatures with respect and dignity, without the personal electronics that are so much a part of our day-to-day lives, and, above all, make a community where people can trust each other. This is magic. And, it is magic that we can carry forward and into our daily lives.
Staff Biographies
Posted By: John Chakan on 4/14/2008
Go learn about who is going to be on staff this summer.
Read their bios, learn about what they are doing now and what is so special about camp to them. You will even see some pictures of when they were camp age soon.
Here's the link to the Staff Biographies page.
This photo is of a hike, not so many years ago. Now, at least three will be on staff...Imagine who the next generation of counselors will be!
Welcome to the Plantation Blog
Posted By: John Chakan on 4/12/2008
Welcome to the Plantation Blog!
Kelly and I are excited to have the chance to share with you some of what goes on at Plantation during the off-season. As we prepare for camp, we will have updates, pictures, and fun stories as we put together the staff, prepare camp, and get ready for another fantastic summer.
The past week:
I just got back from a camp conference in Las Vegas last Saturday. The ACA CampWest conference is a gathering of camp professionals from camps west of the Rockies. This particular conference is fun because it includes not only director types, but program staff as well. In fact, we invited Brit Kurtz (a superstar counselor from last year) to attend, and she enjoyed the conference as well. While some sessions are more interesting or pertinent than others, a lot of the value is also in the networking with other camp people, listening to their stories, comparing notes about similar situations, and generally sharing the highs and lows of a life in the camp industry.
The theme of this years conference was connections, and that is an area that I think we excel in at Plantation. Though we are not a very big camp (there are camps in the Rockies with 3,000 kids at a time!), we have a strong family and alumni base, and the connections that we form with campers and staff each summer last often last a lifetime.
There was also a day for experienced camp directors at the conference, and one of the topics of the day was communicating our message. I will add a note about that in my next entry.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more blog entries!
Getting excited for camp,
John
