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We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming

By Hayne Beattie-Gray on September 22, 2021

The mornings have turned just a bit cooler as of late here at the Preserve. It’s not quite sweater weather yet, but one can sense the transition from summer to fall that quickly approaches. Goldenrod is in full bloom - and it’s irritating companion plant, ragweed - and leaves are beginning to crunch underfoot. Autumn is historically my favorite season here. Our SEE program brings schools here to build community as their school year gets underway as we look to wind down our season. Then, we wrap up the year with our camp community as we gather for the Farm Feast. This event has continued to grow over the past 5 years in celebration of a bountiful summer harvest and appreciation for what this land provides us.

Therefore, it is with great disappointment that we have to cancel our Farm Feast for the second year in a row due to the COVID pandemic. While we feel quite comfortable in our ability to keep our community safe with our multiple protocols in place (as evidenced by not one breakthrough case of COVID this past summer or spring!), our SEE partner schools were dealing with a myriad of factors that necessitated cancellation of their expeditions to GRP.

Why does this matter in regards to the Farm Feast, you might ask?

Well, with the loss of over 10% of our annual budget in the cancellation of fall programming, we could not keep on our seasonal program staff. Farm Feast really only works logistically if it is in connection with our operating programs as we need an active kitchen staff, a running kitchen and a stocked larder. It’s just not in the cards for this year.

We were so looking forward to seeing all of you next month. However, we have some ideas up our sleeves and we will need your help. The Farm Feast is our singular fundraising event for the year. With it being cancelled again, we are manifesting other possibilities to gather and grow our scholarships and our annual fund.

  • We are entertaining the idea of a picnic potluck in October- a bring your own feast to the Preserve - with live music and fire pits and smores!
  • We are tentatively planning a Spring Awakening feast in April that will capitalize on all those yummy early season green veggies.
  • We will be hosting two Family Camps next spring.
  • We will continue to rent out our primitive campsites and offer day-hiking passes in the off-season. Unplug and recharge on the Preserve this fall/winter/spring. Email to book.

In closing, we will miss our time with you at the Farm Feast. However, we look forward to making connections with you in the off-season in new and familiar ways. We are deeply grateful for this community and are excited for what the future holds.

*If you feel inspired to share ideas and/or suggestions, please reach out to .

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Hayne Beattie-Gray
Hayne Beattie-Gray

I’m Hayne and I am the Director of Communication and Strategic Partnerships on our administrative team here at camp. I wear many hats throughout the year as we are a small yet mighty group. I have spoken with or emailed with many of you as you register your children for camp, seek clarity around the best session or course for your camper or expeditioner. I work in collaboration with Anne to find and write grants that will allow our camp to grow to support the needs of our programs as we dream big and look ahead.

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SEE grp farm