On September 15, 2007, we gathered at the farm (for those who don't know - it's along the East Branch Neversink road, past Claryville and a mile or so short of the Straus property) in order to dedicate the main building there (currently serving as a dining hall and meeting room - as well as bath facility for the kids in the summer, who live in yurts without bathrooms). The building is now named in memory of long-time FV trustee Ken Estabrook. Ken loved his grandparents farm as a young boy and years later dragged his family off to live on a farm themselves. Overall he was a very successful attorney in the Westfield NJ area was very generous to Frost Valley with his time and money. His dream, all the years he was on our Board, was that we would create a working farm so that suburban and urban kids coming to summer camp would have the option of living on a working farm for two or four weeks.
Go here and read more about Farm Camp. "Among the animals living at Frost Valley's farm are: Pigs, chickens, sheep, rabbits, goats, cows, horses and of course birds. Farm campers will interact daily with the animals, performing chores, learning how to care for them, and understanding their importance in the ecosystem."The Estabrook family traveled to Frost Valley for the dedication, and, over lunch which consisted almost entirely of farm-raised food, a number of Ken's friends shared stories about him.
I recorded some of these talks and hope you'll have a listen. You'll hear, in order: Fenn Putnman, President of the Board of Trustees; Jerry Huncosky, who is of course FV's CEO; Jenny Snyder, Farm Camp director; Alex Huncosky, Jerry and Patti's daugther and a veteran of Farm Camp; Ann Estabrook and finally Ken's sister who remembers their childhoods at the family farm.
Fenn Putman, President of FV's Board
Inside one of the yurts: Steve Roehm, Paul McGrath, Hunter Corbin, Lisa Ernst.
This is the building we dedicated to - and shall now be named for - the late Ken Estabrook.
