• From garden to plate! Campers of all ages prepare food with ingredients from the farm, like pizzas baked in our wood-fired oven.

  • Gemma Diforio

    Helping our farmers harvest summer's bounty, like red potatoes, pictured here. 

  • Sarah Webb

    Camps are full of all kinds of magic. In 2024, a friendly goblin visited each session seeking answers to guiding questions, like, "What makes a community thrive?"

  • Holly Brough

    Visiting and caring for our farm animals.

  • Andrea Estey

    Buttermaking in the Outdoor Classroom. Shake it, shake it, shake it!

  • Andrea Estey

    Taking a tractor ride to the dairy barn.

  • Sarah Webb

    Picking and tasting tomatoes in the Market Garden. 

  • Andrea Estey

    Building forts and animal homes in the forest.

  • Andrea Estey

    Chopping, dicing, and tasting from the garden. 

  • Andrea Estey

    Exploring the pond to dip for critters.

  • Holly Brough

    Cooking at Beyond the Barn camp.

  • Gemma Diforio

    Meeting and caring for animals including our farmyard cow.

  • Andrea Estey

    The grassy hill Sheep's Knoll is the perfect spot for a picnic (and a post-lunch run)!

  • Andrea Estey

    Gathering around the fire at the Market Garden.

  • Andrea Estey

    Campers spend time all over the farm, including our pastures!

  • A trip to the dairy to meet calves.

  • Andrea Estey

    No two days of camp are the same. In Summer 2024, campers competed in their own version of the Olympic Games!

  • Holly Brough

    Getting to know and caring for our farmyard pigs.

  • Sarah Webb

    A pizza party in the Market Garden pavilion.

  • Andrea Estey

    Skimming for pond critters.

  • Holly Brough

    A major perk of Beyond the Barn Camp: watching sunsets from Lone Tree Hill.

  • Holly Brough

    Overnight camping with Beyond the Barn camp.

  • Andrea Estey

    Campers connect firsthand with where clothing fibers come from, like sheep's wool, being spun here into yarn.

Application & Placement Process
Opportunities for Teens
Logistics
FAQs

Thanks for your interest in our 2026 Summer Camps!

2026 Dates and Sessions

2026 Enrollment Timeline

  • Applications accepted January 11 - 13, 2026: Submit an online application anytime during these dates to be considered in the initial placement process. Enrollment is not first come, first served.
  • Notifications sent 2 - 3 weeks after application period: Enrollment and Waitlist Notifications emailed to all applications received between January 11 - 13.
  • January 14 - August 10, 2026: Applications received after the initial placement process will still be considered. You will be notified if you are accepted or you will be placed on the waitlist in order of when your application was submitted. We encourage you to still apply to help us keep track of your families’ interest.
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About Our Camp Experience

All of our camps strive to encourage youth voice, nurture curiosity, and strengthen our connection to each other, our food systems, and the land. We aim to create low tech, community-centered environments where campers can try new things, engage with their place, and have fun! Our camps are designed to meet the developmental needs of each age group, but we like to collaborate and play across ages. All campers can expect a full week of roaming on the farm, eating from the gardens, playing in the forest, and experiencing the many agricultural and natural habitats here. 

We offer campers lots of opportunities to follow their interests, with space in our weekly schedule for exploration, choice activities, emergent programming, and play. 

Some examples of choice activities include:

  • Taking the goats on a hike
  • Making bread, butter, and spreads
  • Wool crafting (washing, spinning, felting)
  • Building forts and playing forest games
  • Harvesting and Taste Tests
  • Visiting the dairy herd and sheep flock
  • Cooking over the fire
  • Meeting a cheesemaker
  • Nature based crafts
  • Exploring the shores of Lake Champlain
  • Pond exploration and more! 

Camp Goals

1. Facilitate connection between our forests, farms, animals, lake and each other. Build opportunities to deeply engage with our community, care for these systems, and collaborate towards a sustainable future.

2. Build relationships with campers and families to encourage lifelong learning and sustained engagement with Shelburne Farms beyond summer camp through family programs, workshops, outreach, and community partnerships.

3. Develop and sustain an inclusive and multicultural camp community that reflects and engages Vermont’s increasingly diverse populations. We offer accessible programming for all children regardless of financial barriers.

Accessibility & Inclusion

We strive to make summer camp on our working farm as accessible, safe, and inclusive as possible. We welcome campers from all backgrounds and abilities. In many cases, we are open to modifying or adjusting our program and are available for feedback or ideas. If you have questions or concerns about how we can best support your camper, please contact Jed Norris, Director of Farm-Based Youth Programs, at jnorris@shelburnefarms.org.

Program Accessibility & Scholarship Fund

Shelburne Farms is committed to ensuring that finances are not a barrier to children experiencing our summer youth programs. We offer need-based financial assistance in an effort to make camp accessible to all children regardless of financial barriers. Applicants enrolled in summer camp will be able to select financial assistance using a need-based sliding scale. For those able, your donation to the Accessibility & Scholarship Fund is greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping all children to experience the joys of summer on the Farm.

Contact Us

  • Questions about specific camps and programming? please Email Christine Lutters, Assistant Camp Director, at clutters@shelburnefarms.org.
  • Questions about the application process, or using our CampBrain registration system, or financial assistance? Email Mariah Hawkins, Education Program Administrator and Registrar at registration@shelburnefarms.org.