Life in Camphill Village Copake
Camphill Village is an integrated community where we connect with one another through meaningful work, enriching spiritual life, and supportive relationships. We are unfolding our potential together through the practice of social therapy, in which we nurture the gifts of our peers while meeting their needs through life’s different stages.
There are more than 20 lifesharing households in Camphill Village. These are shared by individuals with and without developmental differences, including house leaders and their families, volunteers, and students of the Camphill Academy. These housemates of all ages and abilities live as extended families—experiencing milestones and challenges together, enjoying wholesome meals, and sharing responsibilities within the household.
We spend our mornings and afternoons working in our therapeutic craft studios, houses, and practicing biodynamic agriculture. Evenings and weekends are dedicated to creative pursuits and visiting with friends; we might enjoy a week baking cookies and sourdough breads in our Bakery before relaxing on a Saturday afternoon in our busy Coffee Shop. Some will spend evenings practicing a new piece of music before performing alongside fellow musicians in our Village Bell Ensemble concert.
Our weekly activities provide structure and balance, but life in Camphill Village follows the natural rhythms of the seasons. Chilly winter mornings spent cradling mugs of hot mint tea from our gardens melt away into long sunsets by the swim pond. And through these seasonal shifts, we gather for our many holidays and spiritual festivals.
Many of our celebrations are held outdoors, as our scenic valley landscape provides us with space to grow food, as well as gather. Our land enables us to stroll and chat with friends, ride our bicycles in a safe environment, and to decompress peacefully at the end of a fulfilling day.
Camphill Village Copake is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, and we thank our donors and other generous supporters for helping us to make Camphill Village the special place that it is. Learn about the different ways you can support the adults with developmental differences who make their home at Camphill Village here.
Medical and Therapeutic Care
In addition to off-site care, the Medical Office here in Camphill Village is staffed with nurses and doctors. Our caring medical staff practice integrated medicine—combining homeopathic and mainstream medical care and remedies.
We offer on-site dental care, vision care, physical therapy, and mental health counseling, as well as a wide array of supportive therapies including massage, eurythmy, painting, music, and movement—all of which are utilized enthusiastically by our community members of all abilities.
Camphill has reminded me that life is a gift to be shared. The staff in the medical office, the house leaders, and the villagers give testimony to the power of community; and it is clear that Camphill cares.
Upcoming Events
We were so inspired Friday by a presentation delivered by Mr. Manivannan Ganapathy, the founder of India`s Heart and Soul Foundation. Mr. Ganapathy has been a special educator in India for many years, and his foundation has been doing excellent work and fundraising to begin Aalayam, a Camphill-inspired community in Bangalore, where there are many children in need of services but whose families have no income to obtain them. You might recognize his wonderful daughter, Aparajitha (in pink!), who has been living in and studying our community in order to bring her new skills home to assist with Aalayam in its establishment and future. We are so blessed to have this talented and steadfast family in our lives!
It’s officially May and our gardens are in full swing! Scott and Oliver are members of the @turtle_tree_seed crew, and have been working all week to prepare more rows for transplants! Turtle Tree’s growing season is longer than the rest of the Village because their crops won’t be harvested until they go to seed 🌱
The cast members from @catskill_mountain_shakespeare`s production of Hamlet brought such amazing energy to Camphill Village on Friday! The performance was exciting, violent, upsetting, funny, and so much more than we could have hoped for. This 1980s punk rock spin on Shakespeare had our audience dancing in our chairs and sympathizing with these vibrant characters. We were so excited to get up and greet the cast on stage, and they were LOVELY! We really can`t recommend this production enough. You should visit catskillmountainshakespeare.com to see remaining performances on this tour!
Imagine, if you can, the experience of being a young calf living under the roof of our cozy, protected loose housing for the winter. And then one day in spring, the farmers open the gate, and your little world expands into the roadways of Camphill Village, blue skies overhead, and crowds cheering you on until you reach vibrant green pasture with your family. Each year, we gather along our roadways to take in this special moment—the first running of our cows. One of so many special traditions our community has practiced for decades!
Experience the full cycle of a seed, from germination to seed processing! Turtle Tree Seed is in need of an enthusiastic seasonal gardener to join our crew at Camphill Village. You’ll help us to propagate and care for our seedlings; transplant and direct-sow; harvest, dry, and process our seeds; and maintain our gardens. Our seasonal gardener will earn $20-$22 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. camphillvillage.org/careers or visit the link in our bio!
And so it begins! Our community broke ground this month on what will be a new care house to shelter and care for the aging population of Camphill Village. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support more of our people from their 20s all the way until their final days here in Copake. We are so grateful for the support we’ve received to make this project possible, as it will fulfill a profound need for the elders of Camphill Village for generations to come.
Our ability to prepare and enjoy fresh vegetables from our own land makes a tremendous difference for the health of our people. From our gardens and greenhouses to our kitchen tables and cooking equipment, your donations make our outstanding health outcomes possible.
Move to Camphill Village Copake and start a year of personal growth and self discovery while we handle your expenses. Camphill Village provides full medical care for our wonderful volunteers, and we pay your monthly college loan payments! Enjoy living and working with adults with developmental disabilities while creating friendships with other volunteers from all over the world, right here in Copake. Apply at the link in our bio!
