The information below is from the last camp in 2019. We are still checking out if we can have one in 2023…
!!!!! Please read the information on this page carefully and completely before joining the camp !!!!!
!!! You have to REGISTER ONLINE before coming to the camp !!!
You can also send us a message (sms +32484404034 or mail) before coming if you want to have food.
We try to avoid using cash at the campsite, so please make the contribution for your stay by BANK TRANSFER if possible. Read more…
Please realise that this camp can only happen if everyone joins the work. So keep in mind to spend about an hour a day on avarage to help out with: the dishes, cutting veggies, driving for water or something else we need, refilling the saw-dust or hand-wash bottles in the toilets, repairing the dam, creating, decorating, constructing… Especially the kitchen needs your daily help to keep the flow going. Read on to find out more…
If you have received the link to the camp through a Rainbow-connection: welcome, but be aware that this is not a rainbow gathering. We present a clear structure and some guidelines to follow if you want to be a part of the camp. So please read this page well before coming and make sure you can accept the way we flow here. Thanks!
Stay up to date or share rides by joining the facebook group Glamping on the Prairie.
31 July – 1 September 2019
Everyone is welcome and can stay as long as he/she likes
We don’t have a door: the camp is always open
Take a look at this page if you want to participate in the build-down (1-2 September).
What is Prairie-Camp?
Camping, nature, good food, relax, games, walks, yoga, massage, cutting wood, making chapatti, music & song, beautiful woods, open life, connections, love, happiness, and more of that natural positive stuff. All ages, all colours, all languages, everyone is welcome.
We set up a basic living space on a prairie in the forested area of the Belgian Ardennes. We build toilets, a dam, a water-supply system and dish-washing place, a water heating system for the dishes… and we set up a kitchen tent, an open tent for general use, a temple/meditation tent and our tents for stocking food and equipment. The rest is up to you!
We avoid pollution, as much as possible in our aim to be an eco-friendly and (near to) zero-waste camp. We prepare fresh vegetarian food twice a day, healthy vegetarian, about 95% organic. We share the daily work, : the dishes, cutting veggies, getting fresh milk from the farm or water at the source, chopping firewood, cleaning… It is basic, so we don’t need to worry about all the things we don’t need. We enjoy: Yoga, Walking, Sports, Cooking, Eating, Fire, Building, Sweating, Wood, Being… very easy
Radhebaba, our long-time Indian friend and an inspiring presence, is joining us again this year to manage the kitchen and make sure everyone receives healthy and fresh food. It is important that each of us participates in the effort to provide nourishing food for all by making sure the kitchen area stays clean, dishes are done, vegetables cut… If the kitchen flows well, all flows well 🙂
The Daily Food Schedule
We prepare fresh vegetarian food twice a day, balanced, complete, good for the body, and about 95% certified organic or from our own garden.
The kitchen and the food are the foundations of the camp. Please respect our efforts to provide this kind of high-quality food by not being wasteful and by giving a hand in and around the kitchen when needed. Thank you!
8.30-9.00 MORNING COFFEE and TEA (limited, no bell)
9.30-10.00 FRUITS for breakfast (limited, no bell, so please be in time if you want to be sure to have some)
13.00 (approx.) LUNCH – We ring the bell for everyone to join.
16.30 (approx.) CHAI-TIME – We ring the bell for everyone to join.
21.00 (approx.) DINNER – We ring the bell for everyone to join.
If you have any specific dietary requirements, you can tell the kitchen team about this, preferably before the preparation of the meal starts. In case you want to cook something for yourself,: a cooking fire is available in the “open tent space” next to the kitchen tent. You can ask the kitchen team for some veggies, grains or pulses. Please keep it clean and do the dishes when you’re done.
Please remember that we don’t serve breakfast. In case you would like something in the mornings, please provide this for yourself. Please don’t use the common garbage to dispose of any plastic bags etc. but take them with you. This will help us to minimize the waste we produce at the camp, and lighten the load of organizing the common garbage.
Early dinner for the kids? When there are lots of (young) kids at the camp, it can be nice to team up with other parents to provide an early meal for them in the evening, especially if you see they are having difficulties with the liming of the main meal. Check with the kitchen team about this (please do this before they start cooking), so they can help you to set up a cooking space and provide the veggies, grains and/or pulses you need for this.
Please do your share of the work in the kitchen and eating space. We need your help with cutting veggies & dishes if we want to have food in time. Your help is also needed to keep the kitchen and eating space clean. This is extremely important for the flow of the kitchen and to maintain hygienic conditions. Please read on and you’ll find more on how to help.
Making the Kitchen Flow
The flow of the kitchen is dependent on these three practical things: clean dishes, helping hands and a clean kitchen environment. If one of these is missing, the work in the kitchen is on hold. So please keep an eye open for the needs of the kitchen crew. We usually need some hands for the following tasks related to kitchen flow:
between 8.00 and 10.00 AM – first shift of dishes and clean-up. If this is not done in time, the kitchen flow is broken and We won’t be able to provide food in time. We also take out all the carpets to air them if the weather permits, cutting some fruits
10.00 to 11.00 AM – some helping hands for cutting veggies or cooking
after LUNCH – second shift of dishes and cleaning
after CHAI (around 5.00 PM) – some helping hands for cutting veggies or cooking
after DINNER – take away your plates to the dishes area. If anyone is up for it, we can still do the dishes to make things easier in the morning.
Please don’t leave your plates laying around. When you are finished eating, check your sitting area for anything that might have dropped from your plate and clean up if needed. Bring your cups and plates to the dishes area, and throw away any leftovers in the compost bin or on the pile. Also check your immediate surroundings for plates or cups that were left behind and take them away as well. If everyone takes care of the small area surrounding them, things stay wonderfully clean and tidy!
Hygiene in the kitchen
Whoever comes to help in the kitchen, should be aware of the following:
– we WASH OUR HANDS before cutting fruits or veggies
– we DO NOT EAT OR TASTE while cutting fruits or veggies
– we DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING ELSE (like feet, or a dog…) while cutting fruits or veggies
– non-vegetarian items and alcohol are not allowed in the kitchen area
– dogs are not allowed in the kitchen tent
Some Guidelines
– Your daily work: Everyone that joins the camp should take part in the daily work. So please count at least an hour a day to spend on activities that benefit the community – doing the dishes (especially late evening or morning dishes always need more hands), cleaning the place, helping with cooking, checking the shit-pits, going for water… many things. You can find the Mission Board with urgent matters just in front of the kitchen tent. More on the daily work is shared below. Please do read on…
– About alcohol: The use of alcohol is not allowed in and around the Kitchen-area. IF you want to use it outside of this area, you can, but please keep it discreet and clean. We avoid all packaged food and drinks and alcoholic drinks usually come in these. Please make sure to take empty bottles and cans back with you. Our minimal garbage system is not made for them so they have no place in there!
– Nudity: If you are discreet and don’t make it into a statement, you are free to get naked to take a dip. But don’t walk or sit around naked in the public areas of the camp.
– Dogs: If you want to bring your dog, please follow these simple rules to make it possible to live together: Dogs are not allowed in the kitchen tent and have to be put on a line anywhere near the kitchen area. Make sure your dog is not invading tents or growling at neighbours. Your dog can stay only as long as it is not troubling others. Dog poo can be a real nuissance and it creates unhealthy conditions at the camp. All dog owners share the collective responsibility to clean up dog poo immediately and to check the terrain regularly. If these simple rules are not followed, we will have to say no to dogs in the future, so please be aware of this.
– Garbage: The kitchen at the camp is very close to zero-waste. If you do have any waste, please do not put it in the garbage bins but take it back home with you. This is to encourage you to respect this zero-waste effort and to be aware of your own. Thanks!
Your CONTRIBUTION – money-wise
A contribution of 15 euros a day is required to cover ‘your part’ of the expenses (tents, food, rent, equipment, transportation…). For kids you can adapt your contribution (for example: free for the smallest ones and 5 euro up to 12 years old…).
Extra contributions are always welcome (but not necessary). Extras will be used to cover the costs of the camp, buy tools, repair tents…
We don’t want to collect contributions at the camp, and we want to avoid using cash at the campsite. So the best way is to make a BANK TRANSFER before you come. If you end up staying longer than planned, you can make the remainder of your contribution during or after your stay. Please be aware we can only maintain this kind of relaxed attitude if everyone actually makes their contribution.
Remember that the registration fee of 10 euro should always be paid before you join the camp, as this is separate from the contribution for your stay.
If you are dedicating a lot of time and energy to the camp, drive around to get groceries or harvest organic vegetables from our garden, or donate lots of fresh organic vegetables from your own garden… you can check with the main kitchen crew if it is possible to count this as a part of your contribution.
Your CONTRIBUTION – work-wise
There are lots of little and big things to do in the span of a camp day. Everyone that joins the camp and is physically able to do so, should give about an hour a day to do some of the work that needs to be done. For example:
– Dishes (morning, afternoon and evening). The kitchen can only flow if the dishes are done in time. So it is a collective responsibility to make sure we can have food in time. If food is late – you know it is because of this simple fact.
– Cleaning the kitchen- and eating area (morning, afternoon and evening). We do a big clean-up every morning: hanging out carpets and blankets, cleaning the whole kitchen area…
– drive around to get fresh organic milk from the farm, water from the source, groceries…
– improve and repair constructions, check out the wood chips supply for the toilets…
There is a mission-board in front of the kitchen tent which usually has some notes with things to do.
Your CONTRIBUTION – otherwise
Take responsibility for your direct environment: if you see some tools out of place – bring them back in, if you see some cups laying around – take them to the dishes, if you see the wood-chips in the toilet are finished – bring in some new ones…
And if you can’t do it yourself? Ask someone else or make a note on the Mission Board in front of the kitchen tent.
The central kitchen produces almost no waste at all. We don’t use packaged or processed food products and create all meals from fresh and natural ingredients. In that light, everyone should make a special effort to avoid packaged or processed food products as much as possible. And if you do have some garbage, please don’t put it in the camp garbage system but take your own garbage back with you.
What to BRING?
– Camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, mattress, torch, blankets…
– games, acoustic instruments…
– toilet paper (we don’t provide this, as it tends to get messy, wet, or lost 🙂 )
– your own plate + bowl, spoon and cup!
– For those who take more breakfast in the morning: you can bring something for the early hours if you or your kids need it.
What NOT to bring?
– electrical sound machines
– We intend to minimize waste so it is best not to bring packaged food and drinks or other packaged consumption items. Our minimal garbage system is not made for them! If you do have waste packaging, please take it back with you. Thank you.
Arriving at the camp – now what?
When you arrive (this page has a route description), the first thing to do is come up to the kitchen tent and let us know you have arrived. Please also confirm that you have registered online.
There are two entrances to the camp. If you take the first entrance towards the west side of the river, you can park your car there at the start of the field and move on from here. On dry days, you can take your car a bit onwards to unload. But the deal is: cars that are regularly used to go to town or anywhere else, should stay at the parking at the entrance of the field. If you have a van or caravan, you can take it in a bit more far, but only if you don’t want to use it as a vehicle for the time of your stay. Be aware that the place can get quite muddy when it rains a lot. So it’s all at your own risk 🙂
If you take the second entrance towards the east side of the river, you can’t take your car on the field. There are a few parking spots before the entrance. Please respect this car free side and leave your car there.
Hygiene at the camp
It’s extremely important to respect a few rules regarding hygiene at the camp. We are living together here for more than a month with a large amount of people. So we have to be aware of the risks and act with common sense and responsibility.
– Toilet pits have closing lids to prevent flies from breeding there. Please always close the lid when you finished using the toilet!
– Wash your hands after using the toilet. We have special spray bottles with a mix of 80/20 water/vinegar. Please use these and refill them when they are almost empty.
– There is a Hand Wash place near the kitchen area, with soap and running water. Please wash your hands there and not in the sink where we do the dishes.
– Don’t leave any personal garbage or food leftovers on the lend. Put them away immediately in the garbage or compost piles.
– Your help is required to keep the kitchen and eating areas clean. Please do your share of cleaning in the morning or after the meals: collecting empty cups and plates that stayed behind, hanging carpets that were used outside to air, cleaning up pieces of food that were spilled or fell next to the plates… The kitchen team can only maintain the right hygienic conditions with your active support.
– If you have kids, please try to make sure they also follow these guidelines. They are really important if we want to stay healthy at the camp. Thanks!
Ecology
Our ideal goal is to have a zero-waste, organic, low-impact camp. Here are a few of the things we try to do to live in harmony with the rest of Nature:
– we use less soap, more ashes and mud, and where we do use soap, it is an ecological brand.
– we grow lots of vegetables in our garden in Zoutleeuw, and we also buy some organic vegetables, milk and butter from local farmers.
– the other fruits and vegetables and all the grains, lentils and nuts are also organic.
– we don’t waste food. Usually, everything gets shared and we start fresh every meal.
– we buy everything in bulk and use almost no packaging, so we don’t have much waste.
– we get our drinking water from a natural source nearby..
Everyone should join this effort to make sure this camp is in harmony with our natural environment. So…
– Don’t use soap in or near the water ways. If you use it, take it at least 7 meters away from the river, and use bio-degradable soap.
– Avoid packaged and processed foods. If you do use them, don’t dump your waste into the general bins. These are not made for your ‘personal waste’.
– Don’t take more food on your plate than you can handle. Try not to waste food. it is precious.
Camp ‘Facilities’
– the kitchen area and tent are freely accessible, but there is a ‘shoes off’ and ‘dogs out’ policy.
– two covered toilet pits. Each has a bucket of wood chips to cover your droppings and a spray with water and vinegar (80/20) for washing your hands. If either of these are empty, please refill it!!!
– hand wash place
– open tent with a gas stove for everyone to use
– shower place
– temple/meditation tent
– volleyball, badminton and a few other games
Free time & workshops
There is a board to post information on workshops, walks, yoga-sessions etc. that you would like to hold a space for. You can pin yours up there. It is located in front of the Kitchen tent.
Free time & workshops
There is a board to post information on workshops, walks, yoga-sessions etc. that you would like to hold a space for. You can pin yours up there. It is located in front of the Kitchen tent.
If anything remains unclear after reading this, feel free to contact us (info@indygo.be) or 0484404034) for more information.
See you on the Prairie! <3
xxxBruno & all