Empower 400 Youth to Make a More Peaceful Tomorrow

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

This is a proverb perfectly mirrors the experience that high-school aged youth get when they participate in Hidden Villa’s summer camp program, Farm Academy. This 3 or 6 week apprenticeship combines field-based instruction with hands-on experience in sustainable organic farming. Working alongside the Hidden Villa agriculture team participants are exposed to progressive food production practices and philosophies. They learn about irrigation techniques, the science of soil, pest, and disease management, as well as environmental and social issues in agriculture.

“In school we learn biology, physics, chemistry, but not much about agriculture. At Farm Academy we’re learning where our food comes from, which is important because everyone has to eat. You can go to school all your life without knowing where your meat or vegetables come from. We see how much work it takes and understand why there are people that are standing up for farmworker rights.” – 2013 Farm Academy Participant.

Gaining the skills and experience in farming techniques is an important aspect to Farm Academy, but equally important is recognizing the way that food brings us together. Participants harvest and cook for a weekly potluck, bringing together volunteers, staff, and community members. They prepare and harvest for weekly Community Supported Agriculture shareboxes, donations to the Community Services Agency of Mountain View, and for the Los Altos Farmer’s Market. Farm Academy participants see the full cycle of the season from farm, to market and table.

We are excited for our upcoming Farm Academy and feel privileged to be teaching young people to grow food, for themselves and others for a lifetime.

Links:

• Farm Academy
• Sustainable Agriculture at Hidden Villa

Summer Camp registration began last week, which means we’re gearing up for our 69^th year of Hidden Villa summer camps. Each summer, campers of diverse ethnicities, economic status, religions, and family structures come together to enjoy a wide range of exciting activities, farm life and wilderness exploration. In the midst of song-singing and game-playing, something profound takes place at camp. Young people learn what it means to live in community. They develop greater multicultural understanding and appreciation, resolve conflicts peacefully, cultivate independence, and overcome personal challenges. Lifelong friendships begin here, and campers take with them a new sense of awe for natural beauty.

This year we are excited to offer a wider variety of camp options for young people. Kinder Camp, offered for children ages 4-5, will explore and discover Hidden Villa’s farm and surrounding natural beauty. From the garden to the barn, from the pasture to the kitchen, campers will play and learn in a small group setting. This is a great, hands-on learning opportunity for the young and curious.

Another new offering for summer 2014 is our Sierra Backpacking Trip. During this trip backpackers will join the Alpines of the Americas Project to hike in Yosemite National Park. After spending the first two days at Hidden Villa, the group will spend 15 days exploring San Francisco’s water source; starting at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, hiking into Tuolumne Meadows, and ending in Yosemite Valley! Along the way the group will transform into citizen scientists to recreate historic photos, volunteer with the National Park Service, and return to the farm with memories that last a lifetime.

We are excited to meet our campers this summer, new and old, who will be stewards of our natural environment and help us create a just and sustainable future.

Links:

• Summer Camp