The calendar has just flipped over to spring, but it’s not too early to start planning for fun and educational activities for the kids this summer. Green Door Gourmet is a 350-acre working farm, produce market and agritourism destination on the west side of Nashville where owner Sylvia Ganier grows a wide variety of fruits, flowers, vegetables and herbs to provide to members of their CSA program, local restaurants and florists.
They also emphasize a strong educational program on the farm with programs throughout the year, including a series of summer camps for children to teach them where their food actually comes from. Executive chef RIchard Jones leads cooking demos in a modern show kitchen where he leads students through techniques and ingredients that they can use in their own homes.
This summer’s “Camp Green Door” will take place over the course of three weeks in July with week-long sessions aimed at elementary and high school students to help them experience life in the outdoors away from their phone screens and video games. Here are the specific details for each of the weekly sessions for 2019:
FARM EXPLORATION CAMP (rising 3rd-6th graders)
Explore the outdoors and learn about how food is grown at Green Door Gourmet! Rising 3rd through rising 6th graders will focus on the many aspects of how a farm operates. Starting with the health of the soil, to growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers, touching on the importance of pollinators, and ending with the excitement of harvesting. Each day will feature hands-on and interactive activities. Green Door Gourmet hopes to inspire campers into a life-long love of local food.
CULINARY CAMP (rising 3rd-6th graders)
Let farm to table cooking come to life at Green Door Gourmet! Rising 3rd through rising 6th graders will spend the week learning to create delicious vegetarian meals with in-season produce straight from our fields and other featured local ingredients. Campers will become versed in basic culinary techniques such as food and knife safety skills. Inspired young chefs will receive recipes to continue creating healthy meals in their own home kitchen.
FARM CAMP (rising 10th-12th graders)
Immerse yourself in the local food movement on our organic farm. This camp will serve rising 10th through 12th graders who have an interest in agritourism, farming, and the importance of local food. Time in the fields planting and harvesting will be paired with guided discussions on sustainability and agribusiness. Campers will leave with a better understanding of Nashville’s local food system.
GENERAL CAMP INFO
A $50 application fee per camp session is due at the time of registration. The remaining camp cost must be paid 2 weeks prior to camp start date.
Cost & Schedule:
Farm Exploration Camp (rising 3rd-6th graders) - $175
- July 8th - 12th, 8:30 am - 11:30 am
- July 15th - 19th, 8:30 am - 11:30 am
Culinary Camp (rising 3rd-6th graders) - $215
- July 8th - 12th, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
- July 15th - 19th, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Farm Camp (rising 10th-12th graders) - $225
- July 22nd - 26th, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Campers who attend both Farm Exploration Camp and Culinary Camp will receive a $25 discount. These campers will need to pack a sack lunch. A lunch proctor will supervise the campers during the lunch hour. Parents are welcome to join their children for lunch.
Camp staff are all trained in first aid, SPR and AED and have extensive experience in both outdoor and culinary education. In order to create a personalized experience for each participant, the camper-to-staff ratio is maintained at less than 10-1. If this sounds like something your children might enjoy, you can reserve a spot for them at Green Door Gourmet’s ticketing website.
