Cascade Mountain School is proud to announce the second annual Farm to Table Bike Camp. From July 7-13, middle and high school students will explore Trout Lake, a quiet agricultural valley, by bicycle. Our ‘base camp’ will be Trout Lake Abbey, a beautiful working organic farm.  Each day, we will adventure by bike to a different farm, getting our hands dirty farming while learning about food production and organic agriculture.  Afternoons will be dedicated to recreation, relaxation, and care taking of the animals at the Abbey.  In the evenings, we will create delicious meals from what we have harvested during the day. Participants will have a chance to learn about a diverse spectrum of agriculture–organic dairy, artisan cheese making, beekeeping, vegetable and herb growing, as well as pastured livestock for wool and meat production. While working and playing, conversations will concentrate on the challenges and opportunities of farming and dive into relevant science and policy topics. If you (or a teenager you know) love food, the outdoors, learning and trying new things, and are curious about organic farming–this week is for you.

Cascade Mountain School, a project of Mt. Adams Institute, is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) focused educational program for middle and high school students grounded in ecological and community values.  Cascade Mountain School offers students the opportunity to apply scientific and mathematical concepts to real-world issues in an academically rigorous learning environment that is kinesthetic, healthy, and holistic. Cascade Mountain School students develop skills for a changing world in which they must be able to act nimbly, think creatively, and synthesize information.

Cascade Mountain School is also offering two other residential programs for middle and high school students this summer.

• Hood River Valley Science Camp July 21-36 | Students will explore the Hood River Valley learning about salmon, climate change, and watersheds while backpacking, camping, and kayaking along the Hood River.
• Field Ecology Academy August 4-17 | Students will conduct meaningful ecological research while hiking, backpacking, and camping near Mt. Adams. Students will spend time exploring alpine meadows, lakes, and glaciers of Mt. Adams, and collaborating with local scientists on relevant ecological studies.  Students will walk away with a full semester’s worth of high school science credit.

One student who attended the Farm to Table Bike Camp last year had this to say about her experience, “I loved being able to experience a local food community.  I learned that food brings people closer together.”

Gorge Grown Food Network is a supporting partner.  For more information about Cascade Mountain School and/or to register for summer courses, please visit www.cascademountainschool.org.  For more information about the Mt. Adams Institute, please visit www.mtadamsinstitute.com.