REGISTration for Farm camp 2024

Thank you all for your continued interest and support of Farm Camp at Common Ground Farm! Very few spots remain available for our 2024 season. At this point the registration queue process is closed. If you are interested in inquiring about remaining availability please reach out directly to Renae at education@commongroundfarm.org.

Common Ground Farm Camp 2024

We are excited to announce that Common Ground Farm Camp 2024 will be running from July 1-August 23.

Registration will open at noon on March 6 on this webpage. Please direct any questions to Renae at education@commongroundfarm.org.

Important Registration Changes for 2024

We are dreaming of sunny days, hiking, playing, fishing, and cherry-tomato-picking! In the interest of keeping the joy of summer camp at the forefront, we at Common Ground are making changes to our registration process. We have heard your feedback, and recognize your frustrations around securing summer programming in a stressful and competitive registration process. We hope these changes will help humanize and individualize the process for our families as we work together to create  a summer of nature and fun for your kiddos.

What You Need to Know

On March 6 at Noon, a link to a Queue Registration Form will appear on this webpage. Fill out this form, one per family, to secure a place in line for our registration process. Once you have secured a spot in the Queue, every other step will occur through email. These emails are sent by a human (they are not automated) and we appreciate your patience. 

Once the Registration Queue is established, we anticipate that we will be able to send follow up Registration Emails with further instructions according to the following schedule:

1. Numbers 1-30 March 6 and 7

2. Numbers 31-45 March 8

3. Numbers 46-60 March 11

4. Numbers 61-75 March 12

5. Numbers 75-90 March 13

6. Numbers 91-105 March 14

7. Numbers 105+ March 15

This is replacing the previous years’ process of a registration rush to purchase camp weeks from our store. 

The Five Registration Steps:

1. Fill out the Queue Registration Form (available beginning at Noon on March 6. After  this is completed, you will receive a Registration Email from us that includes your number in the queue and a link for Step 2) See date schedule listed above for when to expect this email.

2. Fill out the Registration Interest Form (upon receipt of your Registration Email, you will have 24 hours to complete this form in order to hold your place in the queue)

3. Receive Purchase Options Email detailing which of your requested camp weeks are available to be purchased, which are full with a waiting list, and/or any alternative offers we have for you. Upon receipt of this email, you will have 48 hours to complete your Purchase of Camp Weeks (or other purchase arrangements, such as scholarship applications or arrangement of payment plan). Once you have made your purchase, you will receive an email confirming that your child’s spot is secured. You may also choose not to move forward with your purchase at this point. Purchases are subject to a non-refundable $75 deposit per child, per week, prior to May 1. After May 1 we do not offer refunds, except in the event of emergencies.

4. Fill out the Official Camper Registration Form (this will be linked in your Purchase Options Email). Your child’s registration is not final without this form.

5. Submission of Camper Health and Immunization Forms (again, your child’s registration is not final without receipt of these forms). At this point, you will receive an email confirming that you have completed all required steps of registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Are We Changing Our Process?

We at Common Ground Farm acknowledge that access to quality summer programming in the Beacon and surrounding communities over the past few years has become unsustainably–and unpleasantly–competitive. We have heard your feedback, and recognize your frustrations around securing summer programming for your kids. While we cannot solve the childcare shortage ourselves, or achieve a perfect model of equity and accessibility, we can take steps to level the playing field a little more, and to humanize and personalize your experience in registering for our camp. We appreciate your understanding as we try a new system in an effort to make our registration process more inclusive and individualized.

2. How does the Queue Registration Form address the stress surrounding camp registration?

Camp registration will be competitive and stressful no matter what we do. By making the Queue Registration Form quick and simple, it will even the playing field by making the competitive portion of the process the same for everyone. Parents of multiple children will not have the disadvantage of trying to quickly select and purchase many different options at once. Members of the community who cannot afford to purchase camp tuition all at once will be able to secure a competitive place in line while still having access to alternative payment options such as full and partial scholarships, and payment plans. Finally, no one will be forced to make purchase decisions in a matter of seconds; everyone will have 48 hours (upon receipt of the Purchase Options Email, following the date schedule listed above) to make their purchase decision as a family. We hope that this new process will humanize and individualize the registration experience for our families.

3. How does this new process increase accessibility to Farm Camp?

Many families have provided feedback that our previous process, which required purchasing camp weeks in full on registration day, was inaccessible for families who cannot afford to make a purchase of that size all at once. By slowing down and individualizing the registration process, we can accommodate families who may need access to a payment plan or a full or partial scholarship, without excluding them immediately due to the competitive nature of camp registration in our community right now.

4. Why is there a 24 hour limit on Step 2 and a 48 hour limit on Step 3?

We know that families are anxious to secure their summer plans, so we would like to move families through this process as quickly as is reasonably possible, while still allowing families flexibility to complete each step without rushing. 

After you receive a place in the Queue, you’ll receive a Registration Email containing a link to the Registration Interest Form. You have 24 hours to complete this form. It is a very simple form so you will not need much time to complete it; and from our perspective, we need to know what you are hoping to purchase and whether we can accommodate your requests before we respond. We are placing a 24 hour limit on completion of this form so that we can quickly move forward with the next families on the list.

After we receive your Registration Interest Form, we will respond with a Purchase Options Email (according to the schedule listed above). This email contains a 48 hour time limit for completing your purchase (or alternative purchase arrangements). By this stage of the process you and your family should already know what you are hoping to purchase; the 48 hours allows you to consider any changes to what you have requested in our offer. Once you’ve completed your purchase, your child’s spot is secured.

5. What happens if we miss the 24 hour or the 48 hour deadlines?

If you do not complete the Registration Interest Form within the 24 hour time limit (from receipt of Registration Email), we will not be able to hold your place in the queue. If you do not complete a purchase within 48 hours of receiving the Purchase Options Email (or complete alternative purchase arrangements), then we will not be able to hold your place in the queue. If either of these deadlines are missed, you can rejoin the queue by starting over at step 1 and completing the Queue Registration Form again. If you missed your deadline due to unexpected circumstances or an emergency, please respond directly to the Camp Director through either the Registration Email or the Purchase Options Email that you received.

6. How will this process affect the Waiting List for camp weeks?

This new process will actually allow us to create a more fair waiting list system in real time! When you receive your Purchase Options Email, we will notify you if a week you have requested is full. At this point, you will be able to either join or decline the waiting list for that week. Since all families will already have a place in the Queue, the waiting list will already have a generated order. When a spot opens up in a camp week, the first person on the list will receive a Purchase Options Email for that spot, and will have 48 hours to respond with a purchase or purchase arrangement. 

7. I have a unique situation regarding the Camper Health and Immunization Forms. What should I do?

Proceed with the registration process as normal. The Camper Health and Immunization Forms (and/or exemption letter) must be completed prior to attending camp; any camper who does not have these forms (and/or an exemption letter) on file cannot attend camp according to the New York State Department of Health. 

8. What if I want to cancel a camp week after I have purchased it?

You can cancel registration for a camp week by responding to your original Purchase Options Email. All camp spots are subject to a non-refundable deposit of $75 per child, per week registered, if the refund is requested prior to May 1. After May 1, refunds will only be given in the event of emergencies. We hope that by slowing down the rush of our registration process, families will be able to carefully consider their commitments before purchasing.