Camp Garden: Fresh Produce for the Camp Kitchen

Just past the second cattle guard and across from the office building lies our long-established camp garden. Tended with care for many years, it is a quiet centerpiece of the property and a reliable source of fresh ingredients for the camp kitchen. The garden has been lovingly maintained by longtime staff members Les and Joyce Fodor, whose dedication keeps beds productive and flowers blooming throughout the season.

The garden supports a true farm-to-table experience at camp. Seasonal abundance arrives in waves—some weeks brimming with berries, others overflowing with squash and root vegetables. Because the produce is harvested and used on site, meals often include the freshest possible ingredients, and campers enjoy flavors that reflect the current harvest.

Raspberries: Sweet, Tangy, and Ever-Present

Raspberries are one of the garden’s standout crops. Every few days, some of the camp’s CITs show up at the kitchen door with buckets of freshly picked berries. The kitchen team freezes a portion for later use and transforms the rest into seasonal treats: raspberry coffee cake for brunch, a bright raspberry sauce to pour over morning waffles, or simply a fresh bowl to enjoy with yogurt. Freezing berries in single layers on a tray before bagging helps preserve their shape and flavor for smoothies and baked goods later in the season.

Zucchini: Versatile and Abundant

Zucchini reaches abundance quickly, and camp cooks get creative to keep variety in the menu. A favorite around here is zucchini chocolate cake—a moist, rich dessert that sneaks in vegetables without losing flavor. Zucchini also stars in savory dishes: shredded into fritters, stirred into ratatouille-style stews, or simply roasted with olive oil and herbs. When squash is plentiful, grating and freezing portions or preparing savory zucchini bread keeps it from going to waste.

Flowers, Greenhouse, and Year-Round Care

Beyond edibles, the garden includes floral beds and a greenhouse that extend the growing season and add visual charm. Dahlias and other flowers brighten the landscape and dining spaces, while the greenhouse provides a controlled environment for seedlings and delicate plants. These elements reflect the thoughtful stewardship of the garden and the effort to offer fresh, attractive produce and blooms to the camp community.

Fresh Potatoes for Tonight’s Supper

On many evenings, the simplest offerings are the most satisfying. Tonight’s supper will include potatoes dug from the garden just hours earlier—washed, roasted, or mashed to highlight their fresh, earthy flavor. There’s a special satisfaction in serving vegetables that were harvested within sight of the dining hall: it connects everyone at camp to the source of their food and to the people who tend it.

Community, Seasonality, and Simple Joys

The camp garden is more than a place to grow food; it’s a hub of community activity and seasonal learning. Campers and staff alike take part in harvesting, preserving, and preparing the bounty. Whether it’s filling buckets with raspberries, sharing new zucchini recipes, arranging a bouquet of dahlias, or cooking potatoes for dinner, the garden lends a rhythm to camp life that celebrates the seasons and the joy of fresh, homegrown produce.

It doesn’t get much fresher than this — from garden bed to table in a matter of hours. The result is flavorful meals, happy campers, and a garden that continues to thrive thanks to the experienced care of Les and Joyce Fodor and the hands-on participation of the camp community.