BELLEVILLE — Hameau Farm has a different approach to summer camp that allows young girls to explore life working on a farm. Their summer camp is open to young ladies ages eight to 14.
Hameau Farm is run by Audrey “Gay” Rodgers. She was raised by farmers on Hameau Farm. Rodgers attended Queens University of Charlotte, however, after graduating and working in D.C. for a few years she realized farm life was for her.
“I went, and I helped bring in the hay, and I helped just do odd jobs around the farm. I thought to myself, ‘Why was it that I wanted to go to some city? This looks pretty nice,’” Rodgers said. “I went through a lot of different ideas, a lot of trial and error and what I had to figure out was what I liked, what I didn’t like, what I was good at.”
There Rodgers met the Ayrshire cows, which are now the cows she has on her farm. Ayrshire cows are a smaller breed of dairy cows that originate from Scotland. Rodgers is able to connect with this because that is where her family is from.
“My herd is a registered herd of Ayrshire cows, they’re red and white,” Rodgers explained.
Hameau Farm’s camp first opened its doors in 1996. Rodgers discussed how she shares a life of dairy agriculture with girls eight to 14 through the camp.
Girls in the camp will rotate their morning activities by groups. These morning activities usually consist of chores like feeding the calves their morning bottles, taking care of sheep and goats, working with pigs, gathering eggs from the chickens and cleaning the barn. Groups change every day.
“After we do chores, there’s a time where each girl, when they come to the farm, chooses one animal that they really would like to work with for the two weeks that they’re here at the farm,” Rodgers continued.
This is in preparation for the farm event that occurs on the last day of camp. Girls in the camp get to train or halt an animal of their choosing to showcase on their last day of camp. Along with this, girls are able to really connect with the animals on a deeper level by brushing them, bathing them and walking them around the camp.
After spending time with the animal of their choice, the girls will then participate in cabin clean up. After that girls are provided with lunch and then afternoon activities occur. There is a wide variety of activities ranging from hiking, arts and crafts, biking, jewelry making, fishing or painting. Girls also have the option to do farm activities during their afternoon activity.
“Sometimes there’s not just farm stuff. It could be vet stuff, listening to heartbeats, listening to the lungs,” Rodgers said. “Just getting closer to a cow than maybe some of the girls have ever been before.”
Dinner follows afternoon activities. Which is followed by an evening activity. These activities could happen on the farm ranging from a talent show to a movie they are playing. However, sometimes they leave the farm to go roller skating, bowling or a park to have a cookout. Every Wednesday the girls also go to the Belleville Livestock Market at 10 a.m.
Girls from all over the United States come and attend camp at Hameau Farm. Specifically, from cities like New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. Rodgers explains that some of these girls have a love for animals. However, they usually do not have a lot of farm experience.
“They come and they just fall in love with cows, then they can return continually, year after year and find themselves,” Rodgers emphasized.
To find out more about Hameau Farm and register for their camp you can visit hameaufarm.com.
