Our Story
The Red Barn started with a simple belief: kids deserve a summer that feels wild, unhurried, and real.
The Red Barn Farm Camp grew out of two things Katie King has always loved: caring for animals and teaching kids. A first grade teacher at Philip Simmons Elementary School, Katie grew up in Mount Pleasant, SC — Bishop England High School, then Centre College for her education degree. She and her husband John moved to the farm property in 2016, and for years she watched her own three kids, Nash, Emmy, and Smith, come alive out here in a way that felt different from anywhere else.
That feeling is what launched The Red Barn Farm Camp in 2023. Jon helps manage the hobby farm that makes it all possible;the animals, the land, the daily rhythms that give the week its shape.
What we've learned in our first summers: kids don't need more screens or more schedules. They need friendship, mud, animals, and the freedom to build something with their hands. That's what the farm gives them.
What We Stand For
Connection to Nature
The farm is a classroom without walls. Animals, soil, seasons — these are things kids carry with them long after summer ends.
Real Childhood
We protect space for boredom, mess, risk, and wonder. Kids don't need more structure — they need more room to breathe.
Small & Intentional
We keep our groups small on purpose. Every kid gets known, every voice gets heard, every summer gets remembered.
The People Behind the Barn
Katie King — Founder & Director
Katie is a first grade teacher at Philip Simmons Elementary School and the heart of The Red Barn. She grew up in Mount Pleasant, SC, earned her education degree at Centre College, and moved to the farm with her husband John in 2016. Her three kids — Nash, Emmy, and Smith — are regulars around the barn. Camp launched in 2023 as the natural collision of everything she loves: animals, kids, and the outdoors.
Brittany Chavez
Brittany has been Katie's wingman since day one in 2023 — part camp counselor, part admin, part photographer. Her official title is still TBD (suggestions welcome). Her favorite moments: watching chicks hatch, and the imaginative play that goes places no adult would plan.