We are a community of friends. We are not staff and clients. Everyone at camp is expected to support the community to the level of their individual ability.
The Community
People of all ages and abilities are part of Zeno Mountain Farm including people with Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, law degrees, Autism, a love of art, teaching certificates, Cognitive Delay, carpentry skills, Williams Syndrome, a willingness to dance in public and Spina Bifida.
At camp we get the chance to do activities that would otherwise be impossible without assistance. We get the opportunity to experience and discover the creative and adventurous side of our lives and ourselves.
Our Story
Our group and philosophy grew out of a camp in Martha�s Vineyard, Massachusetts, where we would spend a month together each July. In 1993, we started running camps at other locations and times throughout the year. These outside camps became known as pods. From 1995-2007, our group participated in starting pods in Mississippi, Texas, California, Mexico, Guatemala, Florida, Nantucket and Georgia. We would reconvene each summer to renew friendships and discuss our pod adventures. It was really exciting to us all! Camp could exist in other places and at other times besides the summer. We had discovered the joy of taking camp on the road and the adventures that traveling together could bring. It was also cool to share the idea of camp in new areas and with new people.
Cheshire, based in Venice California, became a main camp and in 2003 it�s own non-profit. In its home near the canals and famed muscle beach, we hosted a movie camp (called Cheshire Film Camp), a sports camp, and also a music camp. Camps became more focused on specific projects, and we were able to bring people together who shared interest and talents in these specific areas. Musicians, actors, athletes or simply people who wanted to be musicians, actors or athletes came to the camps.
In the fall of 2008, we started looking for a new site where we could host large camps on the east coast. After searching all over New England, we came upon 274 idyllic acres in Lincoln, Vermont. Situated on the edge of the Green Mountains, the property has sweeping views of farmlands and rolling hills. It is also near lakes, wonderful towns and beautiful scenery. We began building in October 2008, preparing for the first camp, known as Tulgey Wood in June of 2009.
We named the parent organization Zeno Mountain Farm - after the road on which the property sits. It is the home for the Tulgey Wood each summer as well as new camps and reunions throughout the year. ZMF will continue to run the other camps known as Cheshire Film Camp in California, Sports Camp in Florida, Sports Camp in California, Music Camp in California, and Kikotimaal in Guatemala.
ZMF Camps
Annual camps are the catalyst for lifelong friendships. Our homes are in Vermont, Los Angeles, Florida, Guatemala, Nantucket and where ever else we come together.
Each camp has a theme that helps to focus and unify the group. The themes include but are not limited to filmmaking, theatre, high challenge sports, music, adventure travel and art.
Sports Camp
Integrated teams train and compete for the honor of hoisting the majestic trophy known simply as �The Cup�. Some may confuse The Cup with a spaghetti colander, but they are mistaken. No mater who wins, it is never without controversy, and it is typically disputed. This weeklong camp takes place twice a year once in Los Angeles California and also in Jensen Beach Florida. Thirty athletes train and work together in windsurfing, Hawaiian outrigger canoeing, weight training, Yoga, Tennis, wall climbing and Soccer. Florida started in 2004 and California in 2005.
Cheshire Film Camp
In Los Angeles it seems like everyone acts, and for two weeks every year, we are members of the guild. Each year forty actors gather to create a film. Our films are not about disability but many of our actors have disabilities. To date, we have made Sweetwater Tides (A soap opera), The Return of the Muskrats (a pirate musical), Sky Squad Eagle Eight (a superhero adventure), The Adventure of Lenny Maloney (A time travel film), and The Greatest Song Ever Written (a rock and roll documentary). Cheshire began in 2004.
Cheshire Premier
Twice a year members of Cheshire host a premier of our most recent movie. We host an East Coast and West Coast premier, where all cast members are on hand to share the film and walk the red carpet. The premiers have been taking place since 2005.
Kikotimaal
Kikotimaal, which in the local Mayan dialect means, �bringing friends together to celebrate,� takes place in Santiago, Guatemala. For two weeks forty-five Guatemalans and Americans with and without disabilities participate in sports, creative arts and exploring the beauty of the country. Kikotimaal was founded in 2005.
Music Camp
We dive deep into music performance, culture and expression in this weeklong camp. Each group writes and records a song that looks to highlight individual musical talents. Music festivals and concerts are also attended, where we typically dance the night away. Music camp was started in 2005.
Tulgey Wood
Otherwise known as the Mothership, this is our largest group of the year. This three-week camp brings 65 people together in Vermont. We participate in pottery, dancing, music, acting, poetry, art, sports and adventures in the community. This camp formed in 2006, but grew out of a camp that started in 1953.
