May 26th-28th

Homestead Detectives
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Are you ready for an adventure that’s part treasure hunt, part time machine, and ALL fun? Grab your explorer hat and your magnifying glass. It’s time to step into the past and discover the amazing skills of homesteading!

Soil, Science, and Seeds
Salida Middle School Garden
Have you ever wondered what’s under your feet? This week in the garden we will explore soil and seeds by digging in and exploring the world beneath us. Get ready to look through a microscope, touch the ground, take soil samples, and explore the hidden world of seeds.

June 2nd-4th

Ranch Production and Preservation
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Ready to roll up your sleeves, step into the boots of a real rancher, and learn how life on the ranch was a lot of hard work but also a whole lot of fun? Imagine being on a ranch, surrounded by animals, fields, and all sorts of cool tools. The best part? You’re going to make some of the most important items people used on the ranch—just like they did in the old days!

Guidestone Farm Camp at Headwater Farm!
Headwater Farm, Buena Vista
Headwater Farm in Buena Vista and Guidestone are joining forces! Come join us for 3 packed days of fun at Headwaters. Experience the magic of Guidestone that you know and love in an exciting new space. Learn about different farming practices, enjoy the mountain views, and connect with the BV community!

June 9th-11th

Animals Communicate Too
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Did you know animals have their own ways of talking to each other- and to us? We will explore how different animals communicate using sounds, body language, scents, and signals. Through games, stories, crafts, and outdoor activities, you will learn to better understand the animals around you. It is full of curiosity, creativity, and connection with the animal world!

Planting, Painting & Perennials 
Salida Middle School Garden
Get ready for a creative and hands-on garden adventure! This week, we’ll plant out the garden for the season, uncover the secrets of perennial plants, and explore how nature and art connect. Campers will experiment with natural paints, craft beautiful works of art, and get their hands dirty learning, planting, and creating. Join us for a fun-filled exploration of the wild and wonderful world of gardening!

June 16th-18th

Water on the Ranch
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Become a water droplet and discover the path of the water molecule. You will travel from way up in the clouds, to the snow on top of the mountains, down into the Arkansas River, and into the irrigation system on the Ranch! Pull on your mud boots and come out to play!

Biodiversity on the Farm
Guidestone Community & School Farm
The Guidestone Community and School Farm is bursting with life. This week at camp, we will learn about and experience biodiversity. Join us as we explore greenhouses, companion planting, trap crops, the fields, and so much more! 

June 23rd-25th 

Kids in Ag
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
This hands-on camp introduces kids to the seven species featured at the county fair, where they’ll learn how to feed, groom, and care for a variety of farm animals. Through interactive activities and up-close animal encounters, campers will gain a deeper understanding of how animals communicate with one another. Whether they dream of being a farmer or just love animals, this camp is the perfect place to learn, connect, and explore the world of agriculture!

Growing a Rainbow 
Salida Middle School Garden
Taste the rainbow! Tomatoes, Carrots, Squash, Kale, Blue corn, and purple potatoes, ROYGBV! The garden is full of a spectrum of colors. This week, we will celebrate color by planting, tending to, eating, and creating art within the garden.

Week of July 6th – No Camps

July 7th-9th 

Ranch Camp
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Hold on to your boots, partner, because Ranch Camp is about to take you on a wild ride! Roping, herding, and ranching Skills—Oh My! From cowboys, cowgirls, and cowfolk to animals and land, you’re going to learn what it REALLY means to live like a rancher! So saddle up, this camp is packed with hands-on fun, new skills, and a whole lot of laughter!

Compost & Critters
Salida Middle School Garden
Let’s turn, spread, build, and learn about compost. We’ll hunt for critters and learn about the different roles they can have in the garden. Get ready to look through a magnifying glass and get to know the tiny creatures that call the garden home. 

July 14th-16th

Homesteading Camp
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Ready to dive into the wild world of homesteading? Get your boots on and your gloves ready because this camp is all about learning super cool skills, taking care of the land, and discovering how to live in harmony with nature, all while having a blast! Whether it’s tending to animals, growing food, or learning how to make your own stuff, you’ll become a true homesteader.

Flowers are Friends and Food
Salida Middle School Garden
Flower Power! Sunflowers, Dandelions, Cosmos, Asters, Nasturtium, the list goes on. We will discover the many reasons why flowers help the garden thrive through crafts, tea blends, snacks, bouquets, and more!

July 21st-23rd

Art of Ag Camp
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Get ready to unleash your inner artist while discovering the amazing world of agriculture! During this  camp, you’ll blend creativity with the magic of the ranch, and explore how to make beautiful art using natural, farm-fresh materials! Whether you are mixing colors from nature, weaving with plants, or sewing your own creations, you’ll be creating masterpieces inspired by the world around you.

Farm Camp
Guidestone Community & School Farm
Spend 3 fun-filled days learning about farming and growing healthy food in the fields and greenhouses of the Community & School Farm! Get your hands dirty while watering the gardens, digging up carrots, exploring the greenhouses, and catching grasshoppers. After this week, you’ll be ready to plant your own garden at home!

July 27th-28th

Middle School Farm 2 Fork Cooking Camp
Community & School Farm and Hutchinson Homestead
In this two day hands-on camp, middle school students will explore where food comes from-starting at the farm and ending in the kitchen. Campers will harvest ingredients, learn basic skills, and work together to prepare a delicious meal using fresh ingredients. It’s a fun and empowering way to connect farming, food and cooking from the ground up.
NOTE: This class is specifically for 5-8th grade students 

 July 29th-31st 

Ag Camp at County Fair @ the County Fair
Chaffee County Fairgrounds, Poncha Springs
Get ready to unleash your inner artist while discovering the amazing world of agriculture! During this  camp, you’ll blend creativity with the magic of the ranch, and explore how to make beautiful art using natural, farm-fresh materials! Whether you are mixing colors from nature, weaving with plants, or sewing your own creations, you’ll be creating masterpieces inspired by the world around you.

 August 4th-7th 

Bringing Home the Harvest
Community & School Farm and Hutchinson Homestead
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into the fun, messy, and oh-so-rewarding world of farming and homesteading! In celebration of this bountiful time of year, please come join us in a 4-day adventure where you’ll discover how to grow, harvest, and preserve you own food! The first two days of camp will be held at the Community & School Farm where campers will get to ‘dog in’, help on the farm, and harvest their bounty. The remaining two days of the camp will be held at the Hutchinson Homestead where we will be creating a feast to share with our camp families to wrap up this camp season! You’ll learn all the cool ways we get food from the farm to our table, and have a blast doing it!

In this two day hands-on camp, middle school students will explore where food comes from-starting at the farm and ending in the kitchen. Campers will harvest ingredients, learn basic skills, and work together to prepare a delicious meal using fresh ingredients. It’s a fun and empowering way to connect farming, food and cooking from the ground up.

Program Logistics

• 8 Mondays, June – July
  • Rancher Mondays (Hutchinson Homestead): June 8 & 22, July 18, 2026
  • Farmer Mondays (Community & School Farm): June 1 & 15, July 6 & 20, 2026
• 9 am–4 pm
• Ages 5-7
• $75 per day; full series $580
• Scholarships are available
• Registration closes at 5 pm on the Friday prior to each program date

Program Descriptions

Join us on Mondays to explore the daily lives of farmers and ranchers. We will kick off each Monday with farm or ranch chores, and then we’ll explore a new theme each session with hands-on activities and adventures! Guest instructors who are experts in their fields will enrich our experience.

• June 1st – Farmer Monday: A Day in the Life of a Farmer 

• June 8th – Rancher Monday:  Animals on the Ranch 

• June 15th – Farmer Monday: Water on the Farm

• June 22nd – Rancher Monday: Land-Based Art

• July 6th – Farmer Monday: Compost and Critters

• July 13th – Rancher Monday: Life on the Homestead

• July 20th – Farmer Monday: Farm to Fork

Program Logistics

• 1-Hour Programs
• Thursdays, June 4 – July 30, 10-11am
  • Little Spurs @ the Hutchinson Homestead:  (June 11 & 25, July 16 & 30)
    • June 11: Animals on the Ranch
    • June 25: Life on the Ranch
    • July 16: Homestead Skills
    • July 30: Kids and Chickens
  • Little Sprouts @ Longfellow Elementary School Garden (June 4 & 18, July 9 & 23)
    • June 4: Potatoes and Sunflowers 
    • June 18: Taller, Smaller, Taste and Smell
    • July 9: Insects in the Garden
    • July 23: Flowers, Birds and Colors
• Ages 4 and under; bring your family!
• $20 per family; $150 for the full series (8 sessions)
• Registration closes at 5 pm on the Tuesday prior to each program date.

Program Descriptions

Little Sprouts
Longfellow Elementary School Garden
Join us at the Longfellow Elementary School Garden to explore the farm with your little one(s). Each program will include themed activities, stories, songs and more.  Grownups… join your little ones for a fun morning in the garden!

Little Spurs
Hutchinson Homestead & Learning Center
Join us at the Hutchinson Homestead to explore the ranch with your little one(s). Each program will include a visit to the Homestead animals, themed activities, stories, songs and more. Grownups…join your little ones for a fun morning on the ranch!