Kroka Village lies nestled in the high country of southwestern New Hampshire between the Ashuelot and Cold Rivers, on 120 acres of forests, fields, and streams adjacent to a large wilderness area. Here we bring intention, connection and simplicity to the work that we do.
Food
At Kroka, we strive to live, work and eat with reverence. In living, working and eating on a farm, we experience that our own health is bound to the health of the soil, plants, and animals around us. Our working relationship with the land and our neighbors allows us to eat locally throughout the year and shows us how we are all interconnected.
The Kroka Farm uses organic and biodynamic practices, working to grow much of the food we serve to our students. We delight in the early spring greens and the late summer raspberries. We enjoy milk and yogurt from our dairy cows, eggs from our hens and meat from both. Our animals are treated with respect and kindness, and our relationships with them are both comforting and profound. The food we serve is a fundamental part of our curriculum and community.
Energy
While walking to our wood-fired and solar-powered Kroka Village, visitors and students are met with the request to please leave electronics in your car. Beautifully crafted wooden A-frame tarp structures create hearth and home for students, where they cook over fire with wood they themselves split. Through living and working in this way, students learn that energy sustainability is possible within the scale of a small interdependent community.
All structures on the Kroka campus have been built with local materials by local carpenters, staff and students. In 2019, Kroka embarked on the reconstruction of its 200 year old farmhouse and administrative building. A model regenerative building in NH, the new farmhouse includes a fossil-fuel-free heating system, passive solar, rainwater collection and compost toilets. It embodies Kroka’s values of beauty, simplicity, and sustainability. Serving as a demonstration center for visitors and students, we continue to move closer to our goal of being a zero-waste and “carbon-neutral” organization.
Community
Our life and work at Kroka seeks to expand the web of our community. As an intentional collective living together on the land, life and work are naturally integrated. Community is a central focus on all programs, with part of daily life being sharing, integration, and celebration. Mornings start with a stretching circle before engaging in group work to greet the day together, songs are sung before every meal, and days are closed with a community meeting. In addition, we enjoy rich collaborations with our local bakery Orchard Hill Breadworks, Maine Local Living School and Mahoosuc Guide Service in ME, and many others.
“Many outdoor organizations have an environmental consciousness, but at Kroka they act on it and live it. They have thoughtfully looked at how they can live and teach a healthy and sustainable lifestyle while living and travelling in a wilderness setting. Their choices of food, clothing, craftsmanship and so many other aspects of daily life permeate the organization.”
– Association for Experiential Education evaluation of Kroka
Kroka Principles
Barefoot walking is encouraged
Sustainable practices are incorporated into every aspect of our organization
We are committed to serving our local community
We eat organic, local, and mindfully produced food
Working toward our zero-waste goal, we re-use, re-pair, re-cycle and re-member our interconnectedness with nature
Our campus is cell phone and screen free
