Pinat Teva Continues to Flourish and Grow! by Andy Katz

A group of children and an adult stand next to a garden, smiling and holding up freshly picked carrots. A large white canopy tent and trees are visible in the background.

Pinat Teva, the “Nature Corner,” which has grown dramatically over the last few years, has taken a major leap forward this summer. In addition to the three original stations – the animal farm, vegetable garden, and outdoor cooking area – we have added a new “nature art” chug (elective).

Outdoor cooking now has two large fire pits, four small ones, and a wood-fired brick oven. So far this summer our chanichim (campers) have prepared pizza, shakshuka, potato/chickpea curry, minestrone soup, macaroni and cheese, and more – all by wood fire.

The garden, which is now three times its old size and includes a greenhouse, is growing tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, three kinds of lettuce, corn, green beans, herbs and more. Campers weed the garden, prepare signage, and periodically cook simple meals with the garden’s bounty.

The farm has two areas, one with chicken, ducks and geese, and another with mini-donkeys and goats. Chanichim tend to the animals and periodically prepare small meals with the eggs the chicken and ducks lay.

The Pinat Teva chugim are consistently the most popular at camp. Whatever the weather, chanichim are happy to be engaged in hands-on activities outdoors, learning science, practical skills, and the values of sustainability and environmental stewardship. There is magic in participating in every stage of farm-to-table eating. And in the process of preparing foods from different cultures, many of which have some unfamiliar element, chanichim open themselves to new experiences and discover they enjoy things they never imagined they would.

A group of children crouch and kneel in a garden, tending to green plants growing in the soil. The kids are focused on their work, surrounded by rows of young plants. Four children and a man sit at a picnic table outdoors, happily chopping vegetables like onions, carrots, and cucumbers on colorful cutting boards. A bottle of hand sanitizer and bowls are also on the table. Trees and playground equipment are visible behind them. A group of girls and a man stand around an outdoor fire pit cooking flatbreads on a metal grate, with two pans nearby. They are smiling in front of a wooden building on a sunny day. Two young boys wearing caps smile while chopping vegetables on colored cutting boards at an outdoor table; one is slicing onions, the other is cutting tomatoes. The background shows grass and gravel.Four smiling children stand next to a man and gently pet a white donkey in an outdoor enclosure, with a barn, fence, and trees visible in the background. Two boys are grooming donkeys in a sandy, fenced enclosure on a sunny day. One boy brushes a brown donkey in the foreground while the other stands by a white donkey in the background. Trees and buildings are visible behind the fence. Three children and an adult petting two goats in a sandy outdoor animal pen, with wooden structures, rocks, and other animals visible in the background. The children are smiling and appear happy. A group of boys stand near two donkeys in a fenced outdoor area, with one boy petting a donkey and others observing or interacting with the animals. Trees and a wooden structure are in the background. Four smiling teenage boys stand behind a wooden and wire fence at an outdoor enclosure, looking at two small black and white goats. Two other teens are in the background near a wooden building.

 

Categories: Camp Ramah New England, Chugim, Farm, Pinat Teva
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