Toni Kent, the owner of Los Gatos Farms, reignited her summer camp for kids ages 3-12 on June 15, after being on hiatus for the last six years. The 30 acres that make up Kent’s estate have served primarily as a horse stable for the last 26 years, since she purchased the land. Prior to Covid-19, Kent ran her kids’ summer camp for over 15 years.
Now, Kent is reopening her summer camp with the enthusiasm for kids to learn how to establish a genuine relationship with nature and wildlife. Kent’s summer camp encourages playfulness and creativity, whilst maintaining structure to keep kids on course. Her camp offers something unique in the midst of Silicon Valley, a place where kids are often enrolled in computer coding camps as early as age 10. Spreading their wings in the outdoors—including with animals—appears to be their secret ingredient for preserving wonderment amongst the youth. “Once I see that kids understand that they can say, Yes, or, No, and realize they are more in charge of themselves here—and not being told what they have to do—they experience life,” said Kent.
Parents can look forward to their kids zip-lining through the trees, going on pony rides, sliding downhill on a toboggan—on top of an array of other activities that spark curiosity. Along with her hand-picked counselors, Kent hopes the camp will grow for years to come.
Nature vs nurture
In anticipation of the summer camp’s revival, Kent has hosted corporate parties and small wedding ceremonies. She rents out two Airbnbs at her farm, offering her land for more than just the barn animals and u-pick lavender uses. This year’s camp will run for a total of six weeks, until August 14, with a break during the Fourth of July week.
The schedule for camp goers is 9am-3pm for 5-7 year olds, with a critter camp for 3-4 year olds from just 9am-12:30pm. “The 5-7 year olds are our Farm Adventure Kids; and the Trailblazer Kids are from ages 8-12,” said Kent. “There’s a lot of acceptance and encouragement at the summer camp. A kid doesn’t have to do anything they don’t want to do, as long as they’re staying safe.” The foundation of Kent’s summer camp is about promoting kids’ innate strengths. “We all have our nature,” she said. “I want kids to experience just being. You don’t get to do a lot of that out there.”
The message is: there’s room for kids to experience everything that makes a young kid fall in love with the world around them. “I think it’s important for kids to have a chance to express whatever,” she said. “They see what is natural and what can happen. We let the chickens out; we watch what they do.” Then, they have conversations about the experience.
The vast space on the property comes with an incredible view. Kent says the kids will be able to make teepees, get up close with wildlife, try archery and BB guns. For kids that want extra courses, there’s an option to add an equine enrichment class or Horsemanship 101, where, for 90 minutes three times a day, they can work with an instructor on how to groom and take up a horse.
The pause Kent took over the last few years has helped her focus on other areas of her farm, and herself. To get there you turn right off of Highway 17 (when coming from Los Gatos it’s before Summit Road). For Kent, the summer camp brings her back to her own early experiences with horses. Thinking about it, she can’t help but shed some tears. “When I think of horses, it’s a safe place for me—from the age of three,” she said. “I grew up in the country in Ohio, so I played with the cats and the ponies in the barn. I understand how you can be yourself with an animal, and experience unconditional love with animals.” Kent closes by saying that horses provided her with a sense of strength.
(Faizi Samadani / Los Gatan)
Community of experienced counselors
Darleen Patton has been working at summer camps for the last six years, and is the director for Los Gatos Farms’ summer camp. “I worked in Pennsylvania doing summer camps with high school kids,” said Patton. The camp was called Camp Weequahic. It was an adventure camp with a ropes course, a lake and archery. Patton met Kent last summer when she came to the camp to cut lavender. “I just loved her energy and how bright and spectacular she was in her interactions,” she said. “Throughout the year, we’ve been in contact to come up with a plan for the summer camp.” Patton is currently attending San Jose State University, working towards her masters. She shares Kent’s desire to see kids to connect with nature and learn communication skills.
Counselor Sarahlynn Bailey was born and raised in San Jose. She’s currently attending her senior year at California State University Dominguez Hills, in Carson. “I’ve been working with kids since I was 16 as a ride specialist at Great America,” she said. Bailey is majoring in community health, and plans to go into the medical field. “I’m looking forward to the lavender farm and to see how the kids interact with all the animals.”
Sophia Wick, another of the summer camp counselors, has lived in the Bay Area her entire life. She grew up riding horses down the road. At 12, Wick came to Los Gatos Farms to ride horses and has been connected to Kent for over a decade now. “I did a bit of training and am a horse rider, and also worked as a summer camp counselor at the last barn I was at,” said Wick.
Reyna Young previously worked at another camp in the Los Gatos mountains, and came upon this role through Patton. “Growing up I loved a lot of Hannah Montana,” Young said. “She had this horse, and I loved it.” Young says she can’t wait to see the toboggan slide action. Kai Malin, who was in Scouts for 10 years, worked with Patton before and met Kent when picking lavender last summer. Malin says this summer camp style is relatively unique in the Bay Area. “You have coding camps and technical based summer camps,” he said. “But, it’s very rare to have an outdoor-based one with animals, horses and goats.”
For more info: losgatosfarms.com
