Our Approach To Meals At Camp
June 2nd, 2026
One of the unique parts about Growing Routes camp is our approach to meals.
We focus on simple, delicious food made mostly from scratch. Our Chef/Gardener, Emily, prepares our meals fresh each day using whole, nutritious ingredients and seasonal produce from our gardens.
As the gardens change throughout the summer, so does the menu! Campers help care for the gardens and harvest fruits/veggies/herbs, developing a deeper connection to where their food comes from. Often, campers even join in the kitchen and prepare snacks and meals with the ingredients they picked moments before. It’s pretty empowering to grow, cook, and eat your own food.
We share meals together in our cozy, art-filled dining room and picnic outside when the weather is nice. Meals feel more like a small family gathering than eating in a traditional big camp dining hall. They are an opportunity to come together and slow down.
Campers set the tables with cloth napkins (sometimes using their own personal embroidered napkins!), handmade candles, and fresh flower bouquets. They choose their plates, bowls, and mugs from shelves of mismatched porcelain dishes. The result is a warm, home-like atmosphere that encourages more relaxed conversation and deeper connections.
We focus on the small details because we believe the small things make the big things.
