Fast forward 30 some-odd (ahem) years to where I am living in a major city with my two active little boys. As with most parents, I vaguely dream of giving them a shot at things (namely summer camp!) that I 'missed out' on in my youth. And not one of the many (fine, I'm sure) urban summer camps with a pool and swim lessons and lots of time running around in air conditioned bliss. No, I want my kids to live it up at a camp in the country - to get sweaty and dirty and just wallow in nature - ironically in a place just as rural as the one I grew up in.

That's where Farm Camp comes in. For the past 4 days my sons have been spending all day, everyday, on a working farm. They gather eggs, feed bunnies and lambs, take long hikes, and garden. They are in nature, yet also in a structured learning environment. They are young yet (5 and 6) but I hope some of the things they are experiencing stick with them when they're back in the city. I hope they learn to appreciate the hard work that goes into running a farm - this year in particular has been very tough due to unusual amounts of rain. And I hope that they remember that this is where our food comes from; coaxed from the soil, warmed by the sun, in a place that is open and green and not anything remotely like 42nd Street.