The Education Center enjoyed its 7th successful summer exploring every inch of Fernbrook Farms. The Fiddlehead campers (6-11 yr olds) enjoyed the usual explorations and activities created by the superb new staff. The Young Steward campers (12-14 yr olds) experienced a rebirth to the program that included two different weeks of overnight camping!

Some of the usual activities included Tree ID guides, catching frogs in the pond, searching for unique birds, and building clay volcanoes down by the creek. Some of the featured new activities included creek clay art, archeological dig, spud & sardines, mural paintings, and fishing to name a few. Several campers were able to make fishing poles using bamboo from our bamboo forest and then headed to the creek and pond where they actually caught some fish! In another activity, a bottle piece was found that dated back to the late 19th century and originated in Ireland! But clearly, the camper favorite new activity was the game sardines and you would often have campers playing at every moment they could.

The Young Stewards of the summer 2011 will surely leave their mark in Fernbrook lore. First, there’s the impressive mural painted in the girl’s locker room that’s sure to last for years and there’s the countless day trips to all areas of New Jersey to talk about but clearly this past summer will be remembered for the launch of overnight tripping for Fernbrook campers. In July, 2 staff and 5 campers headed down to the Pine Barrens for 4 days and 3 nights of hiking. In August, 2 staff and 8 campers headed up to the Delaware Water Gap for 4 days and 3 night of canoeing. On all accounts, the trips were successful and we’re sure to do more overnight camping in the future!

As they say, all good things come to an end and the summer of 2011 came to a wet end with Hurricane Irene leaving its mark on the final week of camp. The campers and staff experienced some changes to the program but were greeted by new findings left behind by Irene.

Planning for summer 2012 at Fernbrook has already begun and we look forward to seeing campers return for another exciting summer. If you haven’t checked us out on Facebook, take a look at the photos section to see photos from this past summer.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable winter and I’m already looking forward to next summer!

Be Safe, Have Fun, and Help Each Other!
Mr. Brian

One of the fun things around Fernbrook is that we’re always becoming. There’s never a dull moment. We’re always looking for new programs to add, ways to improve existing programs or expand in different directions. All of this is because of the energy and enthusiasm of the staff, their willingness to try new things and explore possibilities. Wendell Berry has said that one of the greatest challenges of agriculture is how do you stay in one place and grow; intellectually, creatively, emotionally. Here at Fernbrook, we strive to meet that challenge everyday.

Jenna Collins, who came to us this year as a summer camp instructor, is now on our year-round staff coordinating our Unit of Study programs with the City of Trenton at-risk youth and running our School Field Trip programs. Last year we worked with four schools in Trenton; this year we’re targeting six schools. We’ll also be attending the NJEA Conference in November, part of our marketing program to bring more schools to Fernbrook, exposing more kids to agriculture, the sources of their food, and making choices for a healthy lifestyle.

New plans on the horizon include more fully developing our rain garden and making it part of our curriculum. Also, we should have our solar energy monitor up and running soon so all can see the extent of the sun’s energy on the Farm. Alternative sources of energy are always important at Fernbrook so we are looking into other projects using wind and water as our source. We’re hoping to develop a weather station as well; a great teaching tool for children to study and experience firsthand. We’re also working on the Kerney Barn to be able to have cooking classes and do science experiments. I think Wendell Berry would be proud of us!

As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions. If you can introduce us to people or companies that share our interests, if you want us to get involved with your children’s school, or the big IF, if you can help us with grants or donations for any of our projects, we are always grateful.

Lots of events happening at Fernbrook as we approach the holidays. Hope to see you soon for a little fun on the Farm! God Bless.

- Larry “Farmer Q” Kuser, Executive Director

DETRITIS!! If you don't know about it, come to Fernbrook Farms Education Center for fun learning.

As summer steps in a very busy spring is now behind us; for the first time in Fernbrook history we were completely booked for school programs during our spring season!  This past season also marks the start of a very successful new program called our Unit of Study Program in which schools incorporate a field trip to Fernbrook with three classes taught by a Fernbrook Instructor at their school.  There are currently six Unit of Study Programs available to schools which allow students to experience the great outdoors of Fernbrook first-hand:  Farm Study, Wetlands Study, Forest Ecology Study, Adaptations Study, School Garden Study, and Nature Labs Study.

In our effort to reach as many children as possible, we have also recently launched our new Outreach Program thanks to a partnership with Little Fish Theatre (a theatre company that is also in partnership with Adventure Aquarium for their outreaches).  There are three Outreach Programs currently available that will come to your school, library, festival, or special event.  “Rock the Boat!  Barnyard Boogie” is a live band that plays original children’s music about life on the farm, playing outside, and nature in a fun style that will have children of all ages up on their feet dancing and singing along.  “The History of Food (In 40 minutes or less!)” is a hilarious, fast-paced play about the complete history of food and farming from cavemen to today.  “Of Plastic Things and Butterfly’s Wings:  An Environmental Fable” is a found object puppet show that explores watershed and non-source point pollution from field to ocean in order to teach us all about the importance of caring for the environment.

If you are interested in booking any of our new programs or existing ones or would like more information, please contact us at Education@fernbrookfarms.com or 609-298-4028.  In other news, I’m also happy to report that I will be on maternity leave this summer.  I will be back in mid-September, but in the mean time all School Program questions can be directed to Claire Wildermuth, Director of Public Programs, or Marna Matthews, Administrative Assistant.

Get outside and have a great summer!

Jennifer Totora

Director of School Programs

Pip and Aribella a few days after birth in March

Momma Hen hatched her chicks this weekend!

Spring is adding more surprises at Fernbrook Farms. We’ve now had three lambs born in March; a set of twins (boy and girl) and another little girl. Then this weekend (April 30th-May 1st) the Momma Hen that’s been brooding for 25 days hatched eight chicks! A few more might still hatch in the next day or two. This is the first brood of chicks hatched at Fernbrook since Farmer Q was young and it’s a very exciting experience for all students, staff and families. 

Letter from Farmer Q

Two weeks ago my wife, Susie and I visited our youngest daughter, Lexie, who is living in San Francisco. It’s a great place to visit, especially because I was able to hike in a redwood forest and to visit the Napa Valley. We saw the earth completely blanketed in snow from California to Pennsylvania on our flight home. How quickly we forget – just two weeks ago the last of the snow and ice disappeared for the first time since Christmas! Now cherry blossoms, forsythia and a myriad of other plants are putting on a show for spring. Nature is the most wonderful, rejuvenating force!

Despite two months of snow and ice, lots of things have been happening at Fernbrook. Our solar panels are up and fully functioning and we’ve added some trees to the rain garden we are developing in the barnyard. Both of these are things the children can monitor and study to learn about renewable alternative energy and conservation. The solar energy company we engaged, 4 Best Solar (Fernbrook camp parent, Rich Albano, is one of the owners.), has donated a monitoring system worth $1,500 to enable the kids to learn first-hand about solar energy. Thank you, Rich and company!

Several years ago, I said my main goal was to have as many children as possible experience the Farm and learn about nature. This spring, we literally have more schools than we can accommodate that want to come to Fernbrook for a Field Trip. We are committed to having students experience the farm in small groups of no more than 10 per staff person. This limits our ability to serve very large groups, but we feel it makes a much more meaningful experience for each child. As our programs grow, we hope to be able to expand our staff to handle more children. It’s exciting to have such a dilemma.

The most exciting event since our last newsletter is the arrival of Gemma Kuser, daughter of Brian and Tracy, born March 7. Mother and daughter are doing well. Brian is getting very little sleep taking care of them and older sister, Mikala (age 2 ½)! Despite all that, he’s working on plans for summer camp, hiring staff and creating new programs. Camp starts in just three months!

I hope each of you and your families are well. Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Japan who are suffering more than we can imagine. Our life and this farm is a gift for which we can thank God, but which also results from a supportive network of family and friends.  We are happy you are a part of Fernbrook and look forward to seeing you soon.

We, at Fernbrook, are committed to providing urban youth with an opportunity to learn about agriculture, nutrition and our environment. We take pride as the only education center that offers an educational summer camp experience to urban, at-risk youth from inner-city Trenton and the surrounding area ~ at no cost to the children or their families. Camp is an exciting time in a young person’s life. We believe that every child should be exposed to experiential outdoor learning and that it is important to share our mission. With all of the turmoil these children live with on a daily basis, the opportunities to “just be a kid” are few and far between. Here, they get to enjoy such a simple pleasures as soil under their nails and fresh picked fruit in their bellies. We appreciate our past supporters and thank you for your consideration of contributing to our Urban Camp Scholarship Fund.

Dear friends,

It’s hard to believe there was snow on the ground just a few weeks ago! We’re playing catch up here at Fernbrook–the greenhouses are filled with new plants, the children’s garden is getting a “face lift;” peas, lettuce and carrots are in the ground. Construction on our block barn building is scheduled to begin this week, creating a new indoor space for all of our programs. We have a fantastic design for a rain garden in the barnyard which will keep the area dryer and educational. We hope to have all the work completed by the time summer camp starts. Wow! I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

We’re very happy to have Claire Wildermuth as our new full time member of the Fernbrook Education Center Staff. She has put many creative touches on our Homeschool programs and will be coordinating our “Country Wisdom” family programs. Campfires are back at Fernbrook! In addition, Claire has fired up some unique and educational experiences for our Young Stewards, older summer campers (ages 12-14) that are not available anywhere else, that I know of.

Eric has been busy expanding our “Farm to School” programs. We’ve had groups of high school kids from Trenton planting seeds in our greenhouse; the plants will be part of their community food garden in the city. By working with Education Works in Trenton, we’ve been able to keep the summer program at Washington Elementary School open in the city despite budget cuts. Each year more school trips are made to Fernbrook so kids can see first hand how a farm works. We don’t just put them on a wagonand ride them around. They get involved in small groups and make connections to what they’re learning in school.

Upcoming is our third annual Plant Sale. We’ll be open the first three weekends in May; heirloom tomato plants, herbs and all of our nursery stock will be available for sale. Proceeds will all be used for bringing low income children to the farm this summer; an experience that can be life changing for them!

I hope to see you all on the farm soon. I hope you will always feel free to make suggestions and introduce yourselves. We’re always looking for ways to improve our programs. Think of the farm as your own. We are all stewards of the same planet.

First of all, hello Fernbrook families! I’m so thrilled to have joined the Fernbrook staff this year as Program Coordinator in the Education Center. It has been fantastic getting to meet some of you and hopefully in the next few months I will have had a chance to meet all of you.

A little about me real quickly. . . I grew up in the Poconos of Pennsylvania near Hawley/Lake Wallenpaupack and majored in environmental studies at Dartmouth College.   After graduating in 2008, I worked as an environmental education instructor for the YMCA in South Carolina. Before coming to Fernbrook, I spent a few months bouncing around other jobs teaching environmental education classes. Like most of our staff, and probably you, I love being outside and learning about the wonders of Mother Nature and all the amazing aspects of her life. I look forward to getting to talk to and know all of you! So, whether you’re coming for Homeschool classes, camps, family programs or just a spontaneous visit to explore and say hi to the animals, please feel free to find me and introduce yourselves.

The first month of my time here at Fernbrook seems to have flown by with heavy snowstorms, sunshine, and lots of rain; ushering in what I like to call “mud season”. I am certainly not complaining because it means I have an opportunity, along with the students in the winter Homeschool semester, to wear my rubber rain boots, which certainly wouldn’t be acceptable at most job sites! I’ve heard about and started to see so many wonderful changes to the farm as spring arrives. I am very excited to experience each of the seasons for the first time at Fernbrook. We have an adorable lamb in the animal barn that was born at the end of February and the crocuses have bloomed to provide a blanket of purple around the Bed & Breakfast and nearby gardens. Visitors are always welcome at Fernbrook, so come on over and check out the farm during Springtime (but make sure you bring appropriate footwear)!

As more families come to Fernbrook, we are anxious to plan more programs and create more opportunities for all ages to enjoy and share the farm. We hope the whole family can join us for spring and summer family programs which we are excitedly planning. You won’t want to miss the Country Wisdom Series that will allow you and your family to learn some wonderful country living skills from spinning wool to candle making. Programs are geared toward ages 5 to 14. We hope to see all generations participating together to develop useful skills and make some products to take home.

Finally, we can’t forget the evening explorations coupled with campfires, always a hit! This season, the campfire nights will include an owl prowl, astronomy night and exploring for nocturnal animals. Dates and times for all of these fantastic family opportunities are on our website, so  remember to check back often for all the Fernbrook updates!

…and summer will soon be here!

A walk on the trails of Fernbrook these days will lead you through a forest floor filled with colors of the budding flowers and ferns that return year after year. There are the usual Jack-in-the-Pulpits, violets, and may apples as well as all the mysteri- ous species that bring new excitement and anticipation to the walk each spring. One can’t help but to be amazed at all the life that exists in the forest this time of year.

Seeing the newborn growth also gets me excited for the upcoming summer months at Fernbrook when campers return to campus. Similar to the budding forest floor, there are the usual enthusiastic campers that come back year after year who bring their knowledge and expertise to Fernbrook. In addition to the returning campers, there are the new campers that arrive each summer who bring a renewed sense of joy and wonder to all that Fernbrook has to offer.

During the winter and spring, I often find myself thinking about the beautiful summer months when Fernbrook truly comes to life. With summer enrollment filling up, the thoughts of all campers, new and old, getting the opportunity to share in feeding the animals, hiking the trails, playing games on the great lawn, making projects in the Arts and Crafts room and creating memories for life only brings joy to my heart.

Not only am I getting excited about the upcoming summer but, so too are the Barn Swallows. They arrived just the other day and they’re scouting out their nesting spots for the summer! Summer 2010 at Fernbrook promises to be another exciting year and I can’t wait for it to get started. Have a great spring and see you soon.