2025 Summer Farmhands Camp Program Information
SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION
Join us for our 18th summer of Farmhands camps! We have a variety of Farmhands Summer Programs from the end of May through mid-August at the Hutchinson Homestead, Longfellow Elementary and Salida Middle School Gardens, and the Community & School Farm!
Our garden and homestead programs allow youth to ‘dig in’ and learn how to grow their own food, participate in farm and ranch life, interact with farm animals, and play! We have programs for children of all ages, 0 and up!
For information regarding Guidestone’s Farmhands Camp cancellation, transfer, and refund policies, program location details, what-to-bring lists, behavior management policies, emergency procedures, and additional details, please review our 2025 Farmhands Parent Handbook sent to you post registration.
SCHOLARSHIP REQUEST FORM
We try to make our camps accessible to all. This year we have limited scholarships available. Please fill out our scholarship application HERE. All applications must be submitted by April 15th. We are holding space in each camp for scholarship students. There is no need for prior registration.To request a scholarship, please fill out the request form, and we will look forward to following up.
For any additional information or questions regarding our summer camp programs,
please contact Tracy: [email protected] or 512-656-7430.
WAITLIST FORM
If one of the sessions you were trying to sign up for is sold out, please indicate here which sessions you’d like to put your child on the waitlist for, and we will contact you as soon as possible if a spot opens. Names will be contacted in the order in which they were received.
Summer Camp Information
Farmhand Camp Choices
This year we are excited to provide a wide variety of camp offerings. We have one-day camps to multi-day learning adventures. Let’s dig in’ together!
Little Sprouts/Little Spurs
- Thursdays, June 12 – July 31
- 10 am – 11 am
- Ages 4 and under, bring your family!
Farmer/Rancher Mondays
- Mondays, June 2 – July 28
- 9 am – 4 pm
- Ages 5 – 7
Three Day Camps
- Tuesdays – Thursdays, May 27 – Aug 7
- 9 am – 4 pm
- Ages 5 – 11
Overnight Camp
- Thursday – Friday, June 26 – 27
- 9 am – 12 pm
- Ages 9 – 12
Four Day Camp
- Monday – Thursday, Aug 4 – 7
- 9 am – 4 pm
- Ages 5 – 11
Three-Day Camps at the Homestead & Gardens
May 27 – 29: 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!
May 27 – 29: Soil, Science, & 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 3 – 5: Ranch Production & 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!
June 3 – 5: Roots Run Deep Salida Middle School Garden
Carrots, radishes, potatoes, oh my! So many of our favorite crops grow underground. In the garden this week we will be measuring roots, looking at rhizomes, and planting root veggies! Get ready for lots of tasty treats, crafty creations, and a planting party!
June 10 – 12: Animals Communicate Too! 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!
June 10 – 12: Permaculture, Painting, and Perennials Salida Middle Garden
Get ready for a creative and hands-on garden adventure! This week, we’ll dig into the magic of permaculture, 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 17 – 19: 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!
June 17 – 19: The Garden is Full of Life Salida Middle School Garden
Have you ever counted how many species of plants and animals live in the garden? This week we will explore how all kinds of species benefit each other. Companion planting, intercropping, pest management, and more!
June 24 – 26 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.
July 8 – 10: 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 sadle up this camp is packed with hands-on fun, new skills, and a whole lot of laughter!
July 8 – 10: Compost, Critters, Cover Crops, and Cucumbers Salida Middle School Garden
Let’s turn, spread, and learn about compost and cover crops. We’ll hunt for critters and learn that they call the garden home all while crunching on cucumbers and making pickles!
July 15 – 17: 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.
July 15 – 17 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 22 – 24: Art of Ag 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.
July 22 – 24: Farm Camp Community & School Farm
Spend 3 fun filled days learning about farming and grogrowing healthy food in the fields and greenhouses of the Community& School Farm! Get your hands dityu 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 30 – Aug 1: Ag Camp at the County Fair NOTE*Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday* Chaffee County Fairgrounds
Are you ready for the most exciting camp ever? Campers will discover the magical world of 4-H H, which stands for Head, Heart, Hands, and Health! It’s all about using your mind (Head), caring for others (Heart), getting your hands busy with awesome projects (Hands), and staying healthy and strong (Health)! Of course, there will be lots of old-fashioned games played, learning to make homemade lemonde and homemade icecream! Much fun to be had!
4 Day Camp: Bringing Home the Harvest Day (back to top)
August 4 – 7: Bringing Home the Harvest Community & School Farm & 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!
2-Day Overnight Camp (back to top)
June 26 – 27: Chuckwagon Overnight Camp Hutchinson Homestead
Get ready for a wild, fun-filled overnight camping experience that’s packed with the excitement of the Old West, awesome games, delicious food, and plenty of stories by the campfire! Whether you’re a seasoned camper or a first timer, you’re in for an unforgettable time.
Rancher & Farmer Mondays (back to top)
1 Day Rancher/Farmer Monday Program Themes
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 2 – Farmer Monday: A Day in the Life of a Farmer
- June 9 – Rancher Monday: Animals on the Ranch
- June 16 – Farmer Monday: Water on the Farm
- June 23 – Rancher Monday: Land-Based Art
- July 7 – Farmer Monday: Compost and Critters
- July 14 – Rancher Monday: Life on the Homestead
- July 21 – Farmer Monday: Farm to Fork
- July 28 – Rancher Monday: Water on the Ranch
Little Sprouts & Little Spurs (back to top)
Little Sprouts/ Little Spurs 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!
Program Logistics
- 1-Hour Programs
- Thursdays, June 5 – July 31, 10-11 am
- Little Sprouts @ Longfellow Elementary School Garden:
- June 5: Little Sprouts – Potatoes & Sunflowers
- June 19: Little Sprouts – Taller, Smaller, Taste & Smell
- July 10: Little Sprouts – Insects in the Garden
- July 24: Little Sprouts – Flower, Birds & Color
- Little Spurs @ The Hutchinson Homestead
- June 12: Little Spurs – Animals on the Ranch
- June 26: Little Spurs – Life on the Ranch
- July 17: Little Spurs – Homestead Skills
- July 31: Little Spurs – Kids and Chickens!
- Little Sprouts @ Longfellow Elementary School Garden:
- Ages 4 and under; bring your family!
- $25 per family;
- Registration closes at 5 pm on the Tuesday before each program date.