New Brunswick farm offers authentic country experience during summer camp

At Boyle Family Farm in Lutes Mountain, N.B., the sound of turkeys, horses and other farm animals is what greets the campers every morning.

This summer camp offers an authentic country experience focused on fun on the farm all summer long.

“We offer archery, we do horseback riding, there’s bottle feeding and tending to animals,” said owner Mitchell Boyle. “On hot days, we have water activities, bouncy castles, wagon rides and then whatever we can get into for the day.”

“I don’t think a lot of the children today are getting exposed to stuff like this, so to see them learning about horses, playing with the cows, playing with the turkeys -- it’s just all happiness,” added Boyle.

The day camp runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, giving campers the chance to really immerse themselves into the farming experience.

“It was really fun. I like animals and there was fun activities,” said 7-year-old Fiona Lloyd.

“There’s been goats and tiny horses out here that we’ve been able to pet and play with. There’s a petting zoo area way out there that has pigs and sheep and goats and chickens, so that’s nice.”

For many, the week at Boyle Family Farm is their first time truly experiencing everything that a farm has to offer.

“I really have been wanting to do horseback riding and I really love farms,” said 11-year-old Grace Hines, who attended camp for the first time this year.

She says her time at camp was more than she expected when she started at the beginning of the week.

“We have done horseback riding, archery, dodgeball. We’ve played on hay bales, we’ve played on slip ‘n slides, we’ve done a lot,” she said.

Farm camps are available weekly, with the last one wrapping up on Aug. 25.

It’s open for kids ages 6 to 13 and officials say they have had campers from all over, including Ontario and Hong Kong.

A group of happy campers playing on the hay bales at the Boyle Family Farm on July 21, 2023. (Alana Pickrell/CTV Atlantic)

“I hope that many years from now, they’re telling their kids about when they came to this farm and used to do that in the summer time, so a little bit of legacy,” said Boyle.

It’s a family-oriented farm with everyone included in the activities and he says having kids around is something they all look forward to.

“My favourite part was [Friday] when I got to groom the horse and lead the horse out of the stall,” said 9-year-old Ariel Pieffers, who is back for her second year.

“I love animals and I love horses and they have horses,” she added, admitting that Lucy was her favourite if she had to pick.

While the goal is to provide a fun-filled week for all the campers, Boyle says he hopes that their time on the farm will last much longer then just the summer.

“I hope we build agriculture,” he said.

“That’s what I would like to see, so I’d like to see some of these kids catch the bug and want to either move into cattle in the future or row crops or horses, but I think agriculture is what we’re trying to push on these children.”

Eight-year-old Vayda Landry is already looking ahead to her future.

“I love farms and I really want to own one when I’m older,” she said.

She says she hopes to own cows, dogs, cats, sheep and goats after spending the week at farm camp.

“One of my favourite cows is there. His name is Norman and I loved seeing him last year because he was really cute and nice,” she said.

However, Landry isn’t the only camper who has been influenced by the camp.

“It’s made me want to live more in the country when I’m older,” said Hines.

“I just really enjoy animals and if I’m older if I have a farm, I’d want to a summer camp like this because it’s fun to see kids enjoying it too.”

Boyle says he can see a noticeable difference in each camper from the start of the week until the end and the reaction from families has been extremely positive.

He says that he also gives away camp spots for kids through pay-it-forward and other platforms to try and ensure that every child gets a chance to experience what a farm has to offer.

“Having kids around is the highlight of our whole year so we’ll never stop doing it,” he said.