Chores around the farm are a big part of camp life as they are a way that each person makes a valuable contribution to the camp community. They are also a fun time for campers to get to know kids and counselors from other unit. The first week of camp, campers are assigned chores based on questionnaires they fill out before they arrive. Each successive week, they provide four choices of which chore they would like.

Large Animal Chores:

Horse Chore - We have between eleven and fourteen horses, and they need to be fed and groomed twice a day. Several times a week, horse chore will exercise (ride) the horses, preparing the horses for riding activities later in the day. 

Cow Chore - We have dairy cows and beef cows, and both need our love and attention. We milk our dairy cow before breakfast and dinner each day, feeding the milk first to her calf, and then the leftovers to the pigs. The beef cows eat mostly grass, though we throw them an occasional bale of alfalfa.

Sheep Chore - Our flock of sheep roams over twenty acres, and the first part of sheep chore is finding them!  Then, after counting them (hopefully without falling asleep!), we feed the sheep and make sure they are healthy. Once each session, we shear the sheep, and sheep chore leads the charge to help the sheep into the barn.

Pig Chore - Our pigs are part of our camp recycling program. After each meal, any edible food is set aside for the pigs (non-edible leftovers go to our compost pile), and during pig chore, the slop is fed to our friendly (and smart!) pigs. We scoop out their pens, and if there is time, we play games with the pigs.

Small Animal Chores:

Goat Chore - We have two Nubian does at the moment, and both of them need milking twice a day.  We bottle feed the kids several times a day, and when we aren't milking or feeding the goats, we might be building a play structure for the kids.

Chicken Chore - Each year, we get a shipment of exotic chicks.  As the summer goes on, the chicks grow into full hens, with the occasional rooster.  Meanwhile, last year's chickens are laying eggs, which must be collected and brought to the kitchen.

Puppy Chore - No farm would be complete without farm dogs.  We typically foster two puppies each summer.  These pups need a whole lot of love and attention, not to mention training.  At the end of the summer, the puppies are adopted by camper families.

Kitten Chore - Along with the puppies, the kittens are the most popular animals at camp.  Kitten chore maintains the Kitten Condo, feeds the kittens, and plays with them so they are socialized.  The kittens also go home with camper families at the end of the summer.

Non-Animal Chores:

Garden Chore - We grow much of our produce in our own garden.  We compost our non-edible leftovers, along with grass clippings and other vegetation.  We harvest vegetables throughout the summer, and the blackberry bushes provide a 24-hour a day snack bar. 

Wood Chore - Part of being a sustainable community is recognizing where our resources come from.  Without electricity in our living units, we rely on the heat from wood fires to heat our outdoor showers.  Wood chore safely chops all of the wood that we use for our showers, our campfires, and our unit cookouts.  The wood is all from our property and is the leftover from sustainable logging.

Recycle Chore - Simply, this chore collects all of the trash and recycling from around the farm.  Amazingly, with a population of 150 people, we generate less than two dumpsters worth of trash each summer.

Dining Room Chore - We spend a lot of time in our trellised eating patio, and dining room chore makes it even more pleasant by setting the tables, decorating the patio, and even providing table quizzes from time to time.

Bucket Chore - After each meal, campers and counselors wash their own dishes outside in buckets of hot water.  Bucket chore is in charge of filling these bucket and taking the cleaned dishes in to be sterilized.