Summer camp: It’s not just for kids

Oh sure. The kids get to have all the fun. There are all kinds of summer camp programs for children but what about us grown-ups? We like to pet animals too.

Here’s your chance. Fulper Family Farmstead, a fifth generation dairy farm just outside Lambertville, is hosting a weekend getaway for adults on the farm. Their summer camp program for kids (Dairy Day Camp) has been a hit for eight years and parents often tell them that they wish they could attend too. So, says Molly Pfaffenroth, Fulper’s marketing manager, they decided to create a “summer camp” program just for adults.

Fulper Family Farmstead’s Weekend Getaway On the Farm takes place at the farm on June 1 – 2, 2013. Each adult gets their very own calf to walk and take care of throughout the weekend, including naming, training, leading, and washing. There will even be a showmanship contest with a real judge.

Participants will also make butter, ice cream, or milkshakes, milk a cow, and participate in “down & dirty” farm games and eating contests. Hamilton’s Grill Room will prepare a delicious dinner using Fulper Farm cheeses. They will even help you get a discounted rate at a local inn for Saturday night. And June is National Dairy Month. What a great way to celebrate. Contact Molly via email or phone (609.651.5991) to make a reservation and she’ll set you up.

At Flint Hill Farm you can take the whole family for a “farm” experience – learn how to ride a horse, take care of goats, collect eggs or make cheese.

The 28-acre preserved farm is in Coopersburg (Lehigh County), just over the border with Bucks County. The farm dates back to the 1850’s. It was the home to farmer families Cicon and Haccock until Kathy Fields purchased the farm in 1997. She, along with her volunteers, also runs the Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, Inc. as a way to educate the surrounding community about farm life.

The working farm offers six acres of wooded paths, pastures for sheep, goats, and cows and assorted gardens planted with herbs, flowers and vegetables. A Certified Raw milk dairy provides goat and cow milk for the Flint Hill Farm Educational Center’s sale of both pasteurized and raw milk, and pasteurized added-value products of artisan cheese, fresh butter and yogurt.

Flint Hill  Farm offers “farm stays” that allow families to experience life “on the farm” together one day at a time. While visiting, you collect your own eggs for breakfast, help milk the cows and goats, and assist with the feeding and handling of the horses, sheep, chickens, pigs and goats to their level of comfort.

Flint Hill offers several options, including the Cheese Artist Package (2 weekend nights, $380), The Horse and Rider Package (1 night, 1 hour lesson, $155) or one- or two-night farm stays that give you a chance to experience working on the farm. See their website to learn more about the farm, see photos and explore all the farm stay options.