Camp Food
Meals at Camp DeSoto are about much more than food. They are about appreciating God’s creation and the way the earth sustains our bodies. They are about slowing down for conversations around the table. They are about being considerate of one another and practicing gratitude for what we have received.
Campers will be quick to tell you that the food at Camp DeSoto is delicious! We believe that feeding campers healthy meals that taste good and fuel their bodies for long, fun days is essential to giving them a good month at Camp.
Our food service staff work hard to create varied, healthy, kid-friendly menus. We do our best to accommodate special dietary restrictions, and we will work with parents to make sure we understand each camper’s specific needs. Our menu is carefully designed to ensure that every camper has enough choices to get full, and snacks are offered twice a day to keep girls going between meals.
The Dining Hall
The Camp DeSoto Dining Hall serves three family-style meals each day, which the entire community sits down to enjoy together. Girls are assigned to a table with nine to ten campers in their age group and two or three counselors. We sing a blessing before each meal and pass platters around until everyone is served.
This dining experience is becoming more and more unique, and we are grateful to be able to enjoy meals in this way thanks to the hard work of our SERVE staff. These college-aged women spend the summer setting up, serving meals, and cleaning the dining hall in order to provide Camp with the gift of family-style meals and good dinner-table conversations. Campers learn a great deal from watching these SERVE staff members at work.
The Farm at Windy Hill
The quality of the meals we enjoy together is also made possible by The Farm at Windy Hill. Phil and Marsha started The Farm in 2014 to provide fresh food for the Camp DeSoto Dining Hall, as well as to allow campers to experience the work, play, and rhythms of farm life. Located just a mile up the road from Camp, the Farm at Windy Hill supplies the Camp DeSoto Dining Hall with lots of locally grown veggies (leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, squash, and much more), beautiful flowers, fresh eggs, and even some farm-raised pork, beef, and poultry.
In the Farm activity, campers get to take part in the work of growing, harvesting, and preparing their food, as well as caring for the farm animals. Cooking classes learn how to make delicious meals with the vegetables and fruits picked right out of the garden, and on Sunday evenings one age group each week enjoys a barbeque picnic at Windy Hill.
Intrigued? Learn more about The Farm at Windy Hill’s partnership with Camp DeSoto here.
