Farmblog

We set the bar high at the Farm. Kids and adults are frequently asked to get out of their comfort zones. We often take on tasks that we don’t know we can do well or even complete. Accomplishment comes in many forms — doing your own laundry, showing up for your crew on time, moving 500 bales of hay to the horse barn, taking care of a sick goat, leading a crew of your peers, speaking from the heart in front of a group, riding a 1200 pound animal bareback, reciting an original poem at Coffee House, climbing to the top of a rock face, turning out a meal for a crowd that is on time, nutritious, and tasty. Success at these and countless other tasks both big and small, when gathered together, become the foundation for increased confidence, the willingness to take on difficult tasks in the future, and leadership.

Sometimes, we can point to our successes; tasks that took an afternoon or many days, we did by ourself or through cooperation and teamwork, the result of hard work or inspiration. Arrayed below are some of the many successes that are so evident on the Farm as we approach the end of the 6-week session.

We take great pride in these accomplishments, but also remember that the process — the challenge, the camaraderie, the joy that comes from a job well done — was also one of the goals.

It has been an awesome summer.

For the sake of posterity, we document the tent groups for our final two weeks.

… minus Lukas who had to go home early.

… minus Kligs who was at the infirmary.

For many, one of the highlights of the 6-week session is Coffee House; the opportunity for both Kids and Big Kids to perform in front of their peers. An excellent example of the responsibilities placed on the Kids during the final two weeks of the summer, this entire production was organized by a trio of Kids - Morgan, Sarah, and Samantha - and implemented with the help of a handful of others.

In light of the recent success of Batman: The Dark Knight, the theme this summer was Comic Book Coffee House. Performers and audience members came dressed as their favorite comic book hero or villain, or invented their own. The event was staged al fresco on the Dining Hall deck with a perfect, balmy 72 degrees and a forest-full of insects chirping and whiring quietly in the background.

The menu also reflected the theme, and included homemade ice cream and other goodies.

Poetry, original works or established pieces sung a capella or accompanied by drum, guitar, banjo, or mandolin, and feats of skill were all showcased in front of an enthusiastic, supportive audience.

The character of the 6-week session is quite different from the first four weeks. Slightly more than half the Kids went home as did about a third of the staff. Crews and activities are smaller, but with a higher Big Kid to Kid ratio. There is more time to get to know one another and more opportunity for the Kids to test themselves. Kids, who now understand the routines and rhythms of the Farm, take on more responsibility. Tasks like Black Book (coordinating the daily schedule — priorities, activities, Big Kids, vehicles), crew honchos, summer-long and newly-conceived projects, even counting Kids to make sure all are present, are now shouldered by Kids. The adults stand at the ready to make suggestions and provide expertise, but at this point in the summer, the Kids begin running the show. It is remarkable how much is expected of them, how seriously they take their responsibilities, and how much we accomplish.

Early last week, just as I did in the beginning of the summer, I sat in the middle of the Octagon and took pictures of the entire group. They are, as before, un-posed.

On Tuesday morning, Rog worked on the deck at the infirmary along with Big Kid Zach Stock and a crew of 3 Kids (Two staff to 3 Kids is an awesome ratio, but not at all unusual during the final two weeks of the summer).
Rog also built a deck with this young man’s father when he was a Kid with us almost 30 years ago.
The deck is only a few work periods away from completion.
This Mentor Kid has taken on the deck as his special project this summer. He is the younger brother of Big Kid Dave, who is in his third season as a staffer at the Farm.
This young woman’s mother, a former student of Rog’s when he taught in Westchester County, also was at the Farm in the 1970’s.

Then, just before lunch, Rog took a quick spin around the Farm to see how morning crews were doing. Here’s what he found:

The riding crew had finished and was grooming the horses.

A crew was also a couple of work periods away from finishing a new hay wagon.

This Mentor Kid has been working with Big Kid Dave for much of the summer to re-build the hay wagon from the frame up.

The garden had been tended by a crew this morning and was looking pretty gosh darn good, perhaps best ever at this time of year.

A shade structure for the sheep and cows had been completed and had been taken out into the field. It was waiting patiently for some animals who wanted some shade.

Not a bad morning. Not bad at all.

We have a grove of American Chestnuts on the Farm, part of an initiative of Penn State University and the American Chestnut Foundation.

One hundred years ago the American Chestnut was the dominant species in much of America east of the Mississippi. The story goes that in colonial times a squirrel could climb up a chestnut tree at the Atlantic and, leaping from tree to tree, never touch the ground until it got to the Mississippi. “Under the spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands;” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s words evoked the huge, shady, stately tree that provided food and lumber to generations. Its nuts were tasty to both humans and animals. Its wood resisted rotting, so it was good for fence posts. Furniture makers loved it because it was easy to work with and when finished produced a deep lustrous grain. And of course, mature American Chestnuts produced a huge shady canopy.

In the early 1900s a blight killed off all but isolated pockets of the American Chestnut; a huge ecological disaster. Our grove is part of a much larger effort to bring back this native species from the brink of extinction.

Each year we plant nuts that are hybrids of the American Chestnut and the blight resistant Asian Chestnut, which brought the blight to this continent but doesn’t have the coveted characteristics of the American Chestnut. Each generation the new hybrid is back-crossed with a pure American Chestnut, with the intention that the new offspring carry more characteristics of the American Chestnut plus be blight resistant. From 1/2 pure, successive generations became 3/4 pure, 7/8 pure, and we are currently working with 15/16 pure American Chestnuts. The prevailing wisdom is that some percentage of this generation will hold all the desired characteristics of the old American Chestnut AND be blight resistant.

When the trees in our grove reach a certain height they will be purposely infected with the blight. On this sad day we expect that over 80% of the trees will die. But those that live will be used to produce even more hardy chestnuts that will be spread all over the East.

Our Kids participate in our American Chestnut initiative by helping to keep the chestnut grove weed free, safe from browsing deer, and well watered.

Perhaps someday late in this century and long after we are gone, Longfellow’s words will again describe a living American Chestnut.

We have a bunch of pictures that we like a lot but just didn’t seem to fit into the stories that we were telling. We offer them here.

Pretty mixed emotions… the vans have already left for Boston; Tarrytown, NY; Saddlebrook, NJ; Philadelphia International; Washington-Dulles; and Harrisburg International — filled with four-weekers. Many 1-month Kids are already nostalgic for what they have experienced and accomplished in a month, but are trying to re-tool their brains in anticipation of the rest of their summer. Parents who are picking up their Kids at the Farm have not yet arrived, so many linger. Meanwhile, the six-weekers have their own feelings to deal with. Some Kids who they had come to know so well in such a short time are now gone. Other relationships that are still evolving now come to the fore. Physical and emotional challenges lie ahead.

Perhaps the best thing to do is keep a half-full cup and reflect back on what wonderful relationships we built in such a short time.

Longacre Leadership takes place on a fully functioning organic farm. There are many elements that go into this, but the goal is to live as lightly on the earth as we can in a manner that is sustainable. We want to produce food that is wholesome and grown without the use of man-made fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides and generate power that is renewable.

Our organic garden feeds 90 people during the summertime. Garden crews cultivate and harvest almost every day. We interplant various vegetables and even flowers to confuse insects. The weeds are kept to a minimum by sheet mulching with cardboard (with an overlayer of mushroom soil) and frequent weeding.

We also brew biodiesel using used fryer oil from 8 or so local restaurants. The biodiesel fuel is used in our two tractors, our pick-up truck, and one of our cars. During the winter we also use it to heat the Farm office/infirmary.

Also, last November we installed an array of solar panels on the hillside above the Smith house. Over the course of a year we anticipate that the solar panels will generate about a third of our electricity needs. In Pennsylvania utilities buy back excess electricity at the retail rate. Thus, whatever power we are generating that we don’t immediately use goes back into the grid.

When Brooks Miller and Anna Santini moved to the Farm in March, they brought with them a bunch of sheep and a philosophy of rotational grazing that integrated very nicely into our way of doing things. Sheep and cows, who prefer different grasses, share the pasture. The sheep are rotated around the pasture using a portable electric fence that is moved every other day or so. That way they graze on grass that they like, and even get to some that they aren’t as crazy about. Their poop is evenly distributed around the pasture. Our free-range chickens

follow the sheep in the rotation, sheltered by a movable chicken coop. They scratch around the ground looking for food, distributing the sheep and cow poop evenly; a natural manure spreader. They eat the larvae that hatch a few days after the sheep have been there, thus feeding themselves for free and keeping the bugs down. We collect the eggs every day. We have found that the egg yolks of free-range chickens are a much more vibrant yellow. The eggs taste a lot better than eggs that you generally buy at a grocery store. Over time the pasture, which is being organically fertilized, improves as well.

Although the Farm runs year-round, the Kids engage in the activities of organic farming during the summertime. We hope that by participating, learning, and witnessing the impact of living lightly on the earth, the Kids will take home learnings that will guide their lifestyle decisions far into the future.

Big Kids Zach and Dave recruited a huge troupe of Kids and Big Kids to show their best stuff at this year’s Talent Show. The acts were EXCELLENT. Skits, 3 original songs, the best of Broadway and movie show tunes, stand-up, and some excellent parodies all played to an enthusiastic audience.

Just so you know, the artists below are singing an original, angst-ridden teenage lament called “Cindy.”

This article is also a cut-and-paste from last year. It remains a pretty good statement about what we are trying to accomplish here, and the philosophy travels well from summer to summer.

Any organization should be able to summarize what it does in one sentence. Director Susan Smith, who has been asked to do this a hundred times, says “Each summer, we build a community of 90 people.” As I was explaining this process during Visiting Day, a parent applauded, “It all sounds so intentional!” And it is. Each summer we build a community of teenagers and caring adults — based on respect, effective communication, and shared experience.

Our population is intentionally diverse; kids and staff from different parts of the world, from different socio-economic groups, races, religions, and ability levels. By helping each individual find common ground with people who at first seem so different, we build community. We start with the basics: physical and emotional safety, respect, and acceptance.

The vehicle that helps this process along so dramatically is Group; evening meetings that we hold four nights each week. Kids learn to speak from the heart in an atmosphere that is respectful and non-judgmental. Kindnesses that occurred during the day are acknowledged. Kids open themselves to the group, learning to trust, and demonstrating with their own words and actions that they are worthy of trust. As the summer progresses we give feedback to one another. Kids who enter the summer feeling alone find kindred spirits. Relationships are built on the foundations of acceptance and trust. Ones become twos, twos become fives. Our community blossoms.

So, as we approach the end of the four week session, many individuals express bittersweet emotions. People who we have learned to respect and trust are leaving. Other people who are leaving we have not gotten to know well enough. Still others will remain in a smaller, differently configured group for the final two weeks. No matter what, this community that we have grown to cherish will no longer exist in just a couple of days. We hope we can retain some of its magic when we return home.

This entry introduces the remainder of our 2008 staff. We hope you will see that they are an eclectic group of individuals, bringing skills, idealism, and their own uniqueness to the task of positively affecting the lives of young people.

• Nathan Shulman; New Zealand after the summer.– student 98-02, staff 07.

Mission: To encourage farmers to try things that they are initially afraid of. Nathan just graduated from Dennison University. One of the projects that he is most excited about for the summer is working in the American Chestnut grove, which is a part of the effort to bring back this species from the brink of extinction. He will spend the next year traveling around New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand.

• Ana Maria Medina Rodriguez, the Dominican Republic and Everett, MA - student 02, staff 07.

Mission: to engage in activities that make farmers and myself sweat and feel like we have done important work. Since 05 Ana Maria has been an administrative assistant at Summer Search, a program that mentors low-income high school students and sponsors them on summer programs. This spring she graduated from Boston College with a degree in International Relations. This summer she will be coordinating our volunteer work at Habitat for Humanity.

• Zach Stock, Philadelphia, PA – 04, 05, 07.

Mission: To wander aimlessly into a world that is larger than myself. To love and lose well, in obscurity and danger. Zach’s creativity, musical talent, and wild sense of humor are all tapped at the Farm. He was in charge of the first play production and will also spend a ton of time working on the deck at the infirmary. He studied sociaology at Temple University and Messiah College.

• Dave Cordes; West Hartford, CT - 06, 07.

Mission: To build sustainable communities through creative collaborations and love. Dave studied music and ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University with a focus on improvisation across musical cultures. His work as a performing jazz bassist and student of gospel, bluegrass, and South Indian classical music is a continuing source of inspiration. Before the summer he was working on an organic farm on the Big Island of Hawaii where he learned about the connections between sustainable agriculture and community building; a perspective he is excited to explore and promote further at Longacre. He has a lot to learn.

• Charles Gill; Norfolk, CT– 07.

Mission: To teach the joy of hard work and he satisfaction of sweat on the brow.
Charles attended the University of Vermont. He is working diligently on our Art House hardscaping project this summer along with legions of Kids. Charles also likes to play hard at basketball and ultimate Frisbee.

• Rachel John – 07.

Mission: To finish constructing a wood-fired oven in time to make an epic round of pizzas and a variety of homemade breads. She is also excited about learning, teaching, and eating plants of both the cultivated and wild varieties. Rachel graduated from Earlham College with a major in Human Development and Social Relations, focusing on individuals’ relationships in social, economic, and political systems.

• Amber Bindas; Manchester, MD.

Mission: To give back as much or more gifts than have been given to me. Amber currently attends Frostburg State University in Maryland. She is our caregiver this year, which means that she is going to be attending to bumps and bruises in and out of the infirmary. When she isn’t preoccupied by camp health issues she will also be engaging in a wide variety of arts and crafts activities. Amber also enjoys reading and swimming.

• Cheyenne Christian; Western Nebraska.

Mission: To help build self-worth and purpose within the community. Cheyenne graduated from the University of Wyoming with a BFA in Theatre and Dance. She loves working with horses and kids and performing on stage. This summer she is in charge of the second theatre production, “The Completely Untrue Story of How I Lost the Race,” a retelling of the fable of the hare and the tortoise. She will also be doing a lot of horseback riding.

• Peter Dow; currently Martha’s Vineyard, because that is where his boat is moored.

Mission: To create opportunities for young adults to experience community and interdependence, with the hope that we can discover happiness through personal connections rather than materialism. Peter worked for Rog’s old program, Longacre Expeditions, for two summers. He has spent over 365 days in the field as an instructor for Outward Bound. Pete loves to talk about boats and sailing and dreams about running a shop that makes wooden boats. He can do plumbing, engine repair, electrical work, and welding.

• Ray Conner; Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

Mission: To empower teenagers to recognize and strive for self-realization (I’ve yet to succeed, but it’s a rather lofty goal). Ray and her fiancé, Peter (see above), live aboard the Lady Margaret Rose, a 45′ steel hulled ketch. Ray worked for Rog’s old program, Longacre Expeditions, as a Trip Leader and Course Director from 02 to 07. She gets excited about yoga, gardening, creative writing, hiking, rock climbing, and the biological sciences.

• Brooks Miller; Newport, PA.

Mission: to help kids learn about food production is one of the biggest changes I can make in the world. Brooks is married to Anna Santini and father of 9 month old Kaj. He met Roger, Susan, and Jon at a fund raising dinner for the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture in 2006. He and his family moved to the Farm in March. Brooks believes that helping . He was a D1 wrestler at Penn State.

• Anna Santini; Newport, PA.

Anna was with Brooks at the PASA dinner. As a child Anna regretted that she wasn’t born Amish. She graduated from Penn State while majoring Biological and Agricultural Engineering. She interned for 1 year at the experimental farm plot at the Rodale Institute, the foremost and oldest leader in researching organic agricultural production methods. This summer Anna is dividing her time this summer between the Farm and mothering 9-month old Kaj.

I cut and paste this Director’s Log entry from last year, with some minor adjustments.

We are, after all, called Longacre Leadership. So what is it that we do that fosters leadership and justifies this name? Essentially, plenty and on a lot of different levels.

Even before this summer session officially began, eight returning Mentor Kids arrived for leadership orientation and the opportunity to wrap their brains around projects that they were going to take charge of. For example, this summer, MKs acted as organizers and liasons for activities with various local community organizations such as Migrant Education and Perry County Day Camp. Other MKs took responsibility for the implimentation of Play Day/Fun Day, the building of the Infirmary Deck, and brewing biodiesel. All MKs were, in turn, assigned a mentor to give them guidance and perspective on their tasks.

Once the summer kicked off, the Mentor Kids disbursed among various tent groups and work crews to add depth and maturity to the experience of the newly arrived farmers. They tried to model appropriate behavior and set the bar high for expectations. And then the wild rumpus began…

Kids arrived with a wide spectrum of abilities and propensities. We started with the basics: taking responsibility for your own stuff, demonstrating responsibility for your own health and hygene (for some of our younger kids, regularly brushing your teeth and taking a shower is a bit of a triumph), showing up for crews and activities on time, pitching in on activities to the best of your ability, and treating each other with respect.

Practicing leadership on one of our many carpentry activities is relatively easy to explain. Kids who have volunteered for a carpentry crew come with a wide range of experience. Under the supervision of one of the staff, those who have the skill teach less experienced Kids how to properly dig a hole, or install a post, or drill a hole, or hammer nails, or make sure a board is level. A handful of kids always find an affinity for a specific project and frequently volunteer in order to see it to completion. Thus, many kids develop confidence about various aspects of carpentry, or building a rock wall, horseback riding, organic gardening, theater arts, community service, machinery maintenance, or working with farm animals. They become de facto leaders when they join these crews; they are given more responsibility and their voice carries great weight.

As we approach the end of the four week session, we are clearly running on all cylinders. Crews run with more input and initiative from the Kids, although staff remains constantly at the ready. Kids hold one another accountable for their shared responsibilities. Success builds upon success, and is frequently cemented in place when it is noted by peers. Those Kids who have demonstrated leadership skills throughout the day often hear it acknowledged in Group in the evening.

So, leadership skills at Longacre Farm don’t just happen. They are fostered through a carefully crafted sequence of activities in which Kids are encouraged to learn skills, assume responsibility, anticipate upcoming needs, and work cooperatively. What began as a “wild rumpus” has evolved into another rewarding, growing, amazing experience.

Our trip to Hersheypark is eagerly anticipated by all. This last Thursday fulfilled all expectations. The day was hot; perfect for the many water rides at the park. The Kids experienced a care-free day, where responsibilities were pretty minimal — stay with your buddy and don’t eat too much junk food (some of us didn’t do very well on the second one). For others, even this day was an opportunity to get out of their comfort zone — those roller coasters can be very scarey — and many Kids were cajoled by “peer pressure” to experience the thrills of Hersheypark’s new Fahrenheit with it’s 97 degree more-than-vertical drop. Groups configured, then re-configured, and Kids formed new relationships with friends with whom they had not yet spent much time. Life is good.

The staff guides, mentors, cajoles, inspires, bounds, befriends, teaches, listens… This year’s Big Kids bring a fine mix of veteran continuity and new enthusiasm.

• Susan Smith; Newport, PA – 76 – 07.

Mission: To help build great communities, year after year. The spiritual center of Longacre Leadership program, Susan has been an advocate for kids for over 30 years. Susan is a Master Gardener and active in the American Chestnut Foundation. She has been married to Rog for 37 years and is the mom of Matt, who is working with us again this summer, plus Alex in San Francisco and Courtney who is in 11th grade.

• Roger Smith; Newport, PA – 76-81, 07.

Mission: To change the world for the better, one relationship at a time. Last year Rog sold Longacre Expeditions, his business of 21 years, and was able to work with his wife Susan on the Farm for the first time in over a quarter century. Late last year, when he was asked to become the Executive Director of the Perry County Council of the Arts, he negotiated a second summer on the Farm as part of the deal. Rog loves fine wood working and photography. He is the father of Matt, Alex and Courtney.

• Jon Jensen; Newport, PA – student 91-95, staff 00–07.

Mission: To build confidence in individuals and about the future. First joined us as a 12-year old, and met his future wife Cori here during the summer when they were both students on our program. Jon joined us as a staff member after he graduated from Carlton College and has been here ever since. He led the building of our “green” Art House, started our bio-diesel program, and also finds time for rock climbing and caving. He serves on the local board of Habitat for Humanity.

• Cori Jensen; Newport, PA – student 93, 94, staff 97-05, 07.

Mission: To help teenagers believe in themselves; to nourish the best of what I see and not reject their weaknesses. Cori first joined us as a 17-year old and became a staff member after she graduated from Kenyon College. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Shippensburg University. Cori married Jon on the Farm in a field above the Smith house. Jon and Cori now have 2.5-year old twins named Tate and Lily. Cori was the Poet Laureate of Perry County for two years and serves on the Board of the Perry County Council of the Arts.

• Megan Gantt; Newport, PA – Megan Gantt – 97-99, 02, 04-07.

Mission: For children to feel heard and validated; to help them believe in themselves. Megan was born and raised in Newport. She graduated with a BA from Bloomsburg University and an MEd. in Counseling from Shippensburg University. During the rest of the year Megan is a school counselor at Newport Elementary School. She is one of the most thoughtful of individuals, and frequently shows up at gatherings with food or flowers or both. Her two dogs, Tess and Toby, spend most of the summer on the Farm but have not yet made the cut to go on a rafting trip.

• Louise Warner; Newport, PA – 06, 07.

Mission: To give kids the opportunity to build their confidence — which they will be able to use in other parts of their lives — through horsemanship. Louise was born in Nottingham, England but attended Juniata College in PA. She fell in love with Jake Warner, a local boy, and married him in 2005. She and Jake have transformed a former church in Markelsville, where the Farm is located, into a magnificent home. Louise uses the Parelli Method to bond with her four horses.

• Jake Warner, Newport, PA – volunteer 06, staff 07.

Mission: To inspire young people to make sustainable choices. Jake graduated from Newport HS, then received a BA in English from Juniata College. When not working at the Farm or on his home, he teaches geometry and algebra at Carson Long Military Institute in New Bloomfield. Among his many responsibilities this summer is our recycling program.

• Matt Smith; Newport, PA – student 93, 94, staff 03, 06.

Mission: To use hard work and play as bonding opportunities with kids. Matt has worked in various non-profits in attempts to advance social and economic justice. He wants to raise money for a non-profit organization and eventually shift into non-profit consulting. His current passions are sustainable agriculture and building community. Matt enjoys risotto, 50s and 60s jazz, and Z Communications.

• Colleen Fitzpatrick; Charlotte, NC – 97-99, 01, 02, 04-07.

Mission: to teach and learn something every day. Fitz holds a BA from St. Josephs University and an MA from Lehigh. She teaches second graders at Porter Ridge Elementary in NC and, among other places, has taught in the Marshall Islands and Toquepala Peru. She is 1 of 9 siblings. Fitz spent the first week with us, helping to settle all the kids into new and unfamiliar circumstances.

Baling hay incorporates many of the opportunities for growth that we are trying to foster at Longacre Leadership.

It is a physically rigorous activity, yet many Kids have learned that hard physical labor can be very rewarding. On this particular day, one of the other activities was a leisurely afternoon of swimming at the local pool, yet 10 volunteers put their hands up.

Baling usually occurs on a hot, humid summer day and the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm creates a sense of urgency, because rain will ruin the hay. Even though it is hot, it is imperative to wear long clothing, work deliberately, to act safely, and to take in plenty of water.

At first we are confronted with a task that may seem almost overwhelming: to get hundreds of bales of hay into the barn. By taking a first step, and then another, the work crew methodically chipped away at the task.

The job can only be accomplished if the group works together. Kids rotate in their jobs, spelling one another to keep the process moving. Little by little, the bales get loaded, then driven to the barn and unloaded.

There are many benefits to working in a group: kids strengthen friendships, form new bonds, achieve an sense of self-worth based on real accomplishment, and add a new dimension to their sense of self.

Last Friday night we held a square dance at the Drama Barn. Our caller walked the groups through the moves before each dance, so that we learned the difference between a do-si-do and allamande left. Then the musicians struck up a lively tune and we whirled and strutted around the barn floor. The most enthusiastic of us took breaks only long enough to find a new partner and rehydrate.

The process of creating a community requires effective communication. Yet individuals come to us with varying degrees of communication skills. Twelve year olds speak differently than seventeen year olds. Some of our kids are speaking English as a second language. Some Kids can talk forever about playing sports, for instance, but become mute when it comes to expressing their feelings. Others find it difficult to say anything in a group of more than three people.

Four nights each week we hold meetings in the Octagon that we call Group. In Group Kids and staff are encouraged to speak from the heart and listen with respect. Time is set aside to say the “thank yous” that many times would go unsaid during our hectic, busy days. Small problems are dealt with while they are still small. Successes are celebrated. We also engage in exercises that push the process of community-building. Early on in the summer, exercises emphasize telling the group about yourself. Trust grows. Listening skills become second-nature. Comfort increases. Bonds are formed between Kids and Kids as well as Kids and Staff. As the summer progresses, some of the exercises become more rigorous, giving us the opportunity to offer feedback to one another. We base our statements in the bedrock of our own feelings (”When you gave me encouragement while I was rock climbing, I felt…” “When you didn’t show up for animal crew, I felt …”) Thus, we learn how our actions are affecting others in the group. Individuals who take emotional risks are rewarded with acceptance and respect. Trust grows. Confidence grows. Changes are noted and acknowledged. Individuals become more effective. The community becomes stronger.

The sequence of photos below show the entire community — unposed — seconds before the beginning of Group last week.

Two weeks have not yet gone by and the pace is picking up. An array of compelling options present themselves. 25 Kids plus staff left the Farm for 2 days to go white water rafting on the Youghiogheny River. 11 Kids biked a 14 mile circuit around the Gettysburg battlefield, which is just over an hour from Newport. Through great effort the patio at the Art House is taking shape. We’re building a bunny hutch for our Angora rabbits. Resident Artist Amalia is teaching Kids how to make a sculpture out of concrete and mesh screen. Also, in the spirit of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy, a new rock sculpture is being created every day, photographed, then dismantled. Here is the fleeting creation of Nicholas K. Rock climbing expeditions have gone out to three different sites, all within an hour and a half from the Farm.

And then there was Play Day / Fun Day. Mentor Kid Morgan (Mentor Kids are exceptional returning Kids who receive a special invitation to come to the Farm before the season begins. More about MKs later.) oversaw the entire production and made it hum. We invited the public to the Farm for a day of kid-friendly activities. A group from Migrant Education in Harrisburg joined us, as did numerous local families, for horseback ridin