KROKA CAMPUS HANDBOOK

Kroka's Campus includes the following areas:

Roads, Paths, Parking Lots
Farmhouse Office, Workshop, Boathouse
Kroka Village: a special place for seasonal staff and students to live
Wilderness: ponds, streams, forest, and trails toward Grassy Brook and beyond
Year-Round Staff Housing: Directors, Gaspe, Palugo, Rogers Road, etc.
Farmland and Infrastructure: pasture, gardens, Farm Barn, chicken wagons, greenhouses
Rogers Road: farmhouse and field located west of the main campus on Route 123

FOREST, TRAILS, STREAMS, PONDS

Kroka’s campus is perfectly suited to its present use as a outdoor learning center as it has a nice mixture of forest, wetland and field. Forest covers 68 acres the rest is beaver pond, or forested wetland 6 acres and field, 16 acres. The topography of the land is quite sharp with steep, low hills featuring boulders and rock precipices. The USGS topographic map does not show much relief. On the ground the locally steep areas will require improving access to conduct forestry work. The rock outcrop area in the east side of the property does not show up on topographic map or aerial photo yet this is one dominant feature of the landscape. Neither does the waterfall that runs out of the big beaver pond. Some of the land that is covered with forest is gentle, operable, and worth considering as manageable, but only with the lightest footprint. In particular, there is a spruce flat on the west side of the main interior access trail. This wet ground does not show up on the topographic map but the reality of the site bears consideration to layout of planning.

Besides the sharp local topography, the character of the land is defined by the soil. This will be discussed in a following soil section. Generally, the soil is rocky glacial till on the west parts. Then there is a spine of granite ledge that runs through the east part of the land from south to north. Then the far east part of the land is glacial till. The farmers developed the land accordingly as tilling the forested land would not be practical due to the rocks. The land was probably used for pasture.

The forest owes its present condition to past harvesting practices and the relationship of seed availability, weather, and cutting practice. The land sits on the north side of a set of hills featuring Pumpkin Hill to the south. The cold air rolls off the north side of the hill and sits over the land is in a cold pocket. The soil, climate, and harvesting practices have encouraged a concentration of softwood. White pine was harvested heavily from the stand in the 1960s and 1970s. The openings created from the harvesting set the stage for hemlock spruce and balsam to regenerate the forest. There are some small pockets of white pine especially toward the south ridge above the beaver pond. The more common softwood is hemlock, followed by spruce and balsam fir. Hardwood is mixed throughout the property although it is more concentrated on the west side along the Alstead line. The best hardwood is in the southwest end of the land. The property is defined by two distinct drainages. The first one starts north of Route 123 and runs roughly along the margin of the forest and the field it flows to the east. The other drainage starts in a spring along the Alstead line. This inundates a spruce flat in an area due south of camp area and the water flows south. The beginning of this wetland is a forested wetland, and then the channel comes together in the southwest part of the property and runs into the beaver pond. The water from the beaver pond flows out over a gentle waterfall and then towards the Grassy Brook and eventually the Ashuelot River.

Our primary use of our forest is for education revolving around the sustainable local use of the forest. For many owners, the timber found here (which is characterized by abundant small spruce, hemlock and balsam fir) would be a reason to plan a forest improvement designed to change the composition of the forest. Small spruce, balsam fir, and hemlock are nearly valueless in the local forest products market. At Kroka Expeditions, these species in the small 2 to 6 inch size class are very valuable for all sorts of products, and projects. In the camp area, the indigenous structures from Lapland and the Cree people of northern Canada and structures from elsewhere in the developing world demonstrate the usefulness of this sort of wood. There are also teepees, yurts and walled tents, which also require poles. This small pole wood is also needed for fencing, road corduroy, and charcoal. All sorts of other tree species growing on the property are useful. In the woodshop, students make bows out of ash, bowls out of cherry, maple, and furniture from birch and maple. All of these uses of local forest products being used are in full view of the students in most cases with their own hands. Furthermore, the school heats and cooks with wood so there is a large demand for firewood. Thus the goal is to manage the forest sustainably, making use of the products that grow in the forest while improving the structure and composition of the forest, maintaining areas of old growth, and setting the stage for regenerating desirable tree species through harvesting practices, and nurturing forest health. Improving access will be an important goal as well. Conducting forestry requires reasonable woods roads that allows machinery to get through the land. In addition the school is creating a cross country ski course looping trail systems around the perimeter of the property. Encouraging wildlife is a secondary goal. Because our campus is small and heavily used, we must be very sensitive about our impact: - we do not pick up found objects - we do not break branches from trees - we start fires only in designated fire rings or in fire pans placed on rocks - we do not climb rocks at Porcupine cliffs - debris shelters should not be built within the Beaver Pond / Porcupine Cliff Trail Loop.

Students should be instructed in fox-walking prior to going off-trail If using any neighboring properties, please review the landowner agreement in our files.

POND and STREAM are not used for bathing, washing clothing or dishes.

POND and STREAM are not used for drinking water.

POND RULES ARE POSTED at pond.

FIREWOOD, WATER, AND ENERGY SYSTEMS

Firewood

Firewood is Kroka’s fuel for nearly all cooking and heating. Firewood starts out as logs that are delivered from a logging truck to our log landing. From there it is chainsawed into firewood lengths, and then split and delivered to firewood storage. There is firewood storage at the woodshed in camp [divided into a wet side and a dry side] and at the farmhouse. Staff may take firewood for personal use in their dwellings from the camp woodshed. Cutting and splitting wood is a community chore. No wood (dead or alive) can be removed from the forest without coordination with Forest Manager.

Firewood is a limited natural resource that should be conserved. Here are some suggestions: - get hot water from the solar water heater - make small fires or use rocket stove instead of large wasteful fires - take time to cut small kindling branches from the burn pile

Water

There are many potential sources of water on campus:

1. FARMHOUSE DRINKING WATER – comes from a deep well in front of the farmhouse near the road. It supplies farmhouse water – spigots, sinks, toilets, showers and laundry for the entire building. It is prone to running dry in the summer. Please use sparingly.

2. FARMHOUSE LIVESTOCK WATER – comes from a shallow well in the farmhouse basement. Supplies spigot in the basement.

3. GASPE DRINKING WATER – comes from a well next to the house, filtered in the basement, supplies all fixtures in that building, as well as greenhouse and boathouse.

4. BOATHOUSE DRINKING WATER DRY HYDRANT - comes from Gaspe water

5. CAMP WELL – [bucket crank] comes from small shallow well. Use for COOK AND WASH water in camp when the stream is dry. Note that it is preferable for students to take water from the stream when it is running. CAMP WELL WATER AND STREAM WATER ARE NOT to be used for drinking for students.

6. STREAM – Collect water by dipping and carrying in a plastic bucket only when stream is flowing (not dry). Use for cook and wash water for students in camp, or for livestock.

7. SPRINGS – You may find small springs in the forest, especially near porcupine cliffs. Use to teach students about clean wilderness drinking water. Take water only directly from where it comes out of the ground.

8. RAINWATER COLLECTION – at the bathroom and solar shed Used for hand washing and irrigation.

NOTE: BUCKETS ARE FOR WASH WATER, CANNISTERS ARE FOR DRINKING WATER

Electricity

Kroka village has a small “off-the-grid” solar electric system. Solar panels charge batteries in the solar shed. The battery power is inverted to provide 120V AC power to Big Yurt and a few other dwellings. Please consult facilities manager before using any power tools or your own electrical devices on this system.

Farmhouse has a 3KW grid-connected solar system.

We need to be careful about electrical use:

- Turn off lamps and light fixtures whenever possible - Unplug transformers whenever possible - use woodstove on cooler days instead of electrical stove for cooking - fill thermoses when woodstove is going - put computers to sleep when finished

Occasionally power tools in the workshop may “trip the circuit breaker”. The farmhouse / workshop circuit breaker panel is located in the farmhouse basement.

TOILETS & BATHING FACILITIES

TOILETS There are three toilet facilities on campus:

1. FARMHOUSE has an upstairs and a downstairs toilet that is flushed with drinking water from the well. It also has a water-free urinal in the food room.

2. POND COMPOSTING TOILET building, the original toilet building built at Kroka by Ken Gagnon. Should be used by all students before visiting the pond!

3. CAMP STUDENT TOILET is the composting toilet building the student village, built by semester students and Ken Gagnon in 2012.

WASTE, RECYCLING, MANURE, COMPOST

We strive towards a world in which there would be no trash.

Recycling containers provided in office, kitchen, food room, big yurt, boathouse, and year-round staff housing, and each bathroom.

The recycling center is located on the western wall of the farmhouse.

Recycling and trash disposal is done weekly on Wednesday afternoon or Saturday morning. Material is brought to the Marlow town transfer station.

All food scraps are composted in enclosed black rotating compost barrels before being added to manure piles. Composting barrels are located adjacent to farmhouse and in the village (near solar shed).

All food waste is compostable. Animal bones should be burned in the woodstove

All food grade metal is recycled at recycling center

All scrap non-food grade metal is recycled in the scrap metal bucket in the workshop.

All paper and paper products (cardboard etc.) is recycled in blue containers or at the recycling center

Plastic #1 and #2 is recyclable locally. Plastic #3 - #7 must be separated for recycling (we take it further to a facility which accepts it). Tetracycle container in the kitchen – (mailed to a recycling center).

All glass is recycled.

Composite materials should be separated into their smaller components which could be recycled.

Batteries: Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible – especially the USB rechargeable headlamps. Non-rechargeable batteries have a terra cycle box in the front hall of the farm house that ships them to a recycling center in New Jersey. It is very expensive to recycle these batteries. NH does not recycle batteries. Please use rechargeable batteries.

Anything that we cannot recycle will eventually be incinerated, so we should do everything possible to reduce, re-use, or recycle.

Human Manure is composted in the bathrooms and spread on hayfields in a 3-year cycle. Animal Manure is composted and used on gardens.

FARM: DAIRY, POULTRY, PRODUCE

Through volunteer efforts of staff and founders we have established a small farm with vegetable gardens, apple and pear trees, chickens, cows, bees and a workhorse. We produce eggs, soup chickens, milk, yogurt, cheese, beef, vegetables, berries and a minimal number of fruits. We also produce a small amount of honey as well as some herbal tinctures.

Our short term goals are to increase the yield of the existing gardens, finish planting berry patches and continue to improve our education of young people in the cycles of growing food (preparation, nurturing, harvest and preservation) while learning the importance of eating locally and how to grow food responsibly.

Our long term goals are to become more sustainable relative to the food we eat and serve our students, to have a strong educational element in farming the land responsibly, humanely working with animals and truly learning how to grow food from beginning to end.

In 2015 and 2016 we acquired haying equipment and a larger size Kubota tractor, and began producing our own square bale hay.

Our Farm Barn was inaugurated in May 2016, providing stalls, hayloft, seedling starting, kitchen, milking room, walk-in cooler, and the farm office.

ROADS & PARKING

All year-round staff vehicles should be parked at the Trailhead Parking lot, across the stream to the WEST of Gaspe. Year-round staff may park on lower driveway near farmhouse except on weekends. Prime parking in front of food room is restricted to emergencies or loading & unloading deliveries. At no time should the driveway entrance be blocked.

All vehicle departures from campus with students should ideally be from the Boathouse. DO NOT MAKE RIGHT TURNS WHEN EXITING FARMHOUSE DRIVEWAY when driving a 15 passenger van with a trailer.

MOTOR VEHICLES & TRAILERS

Kroka vehicles are for program use only. Staff living on campus without a vehicle should borrow vehicles from other staff. Staff vehicles that are stored (parked) on campus must be registered and inspected and present no hazard to the environment. Long-term storage of personal vehicles must have permission of facilities manager.

SEE: Kroka Operations : Driving protocols, Vehicle weekly checklist, Vehicle daily pre-driving checklist

TRACTOR, FORESTRY, & LANDSCAPING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

All power equipment must be used with sensitivity to noise pollution which affects our neighbors and students on campus. Do not use engine (gas/diesel) powered tools in the village while students are present on campus.

TRACTOR USE: TRACTOR must be used with hearing protection. TRACTOR not to be used in proximity to young students. TRACTOR operators must be 18 years or older, and must have tractor training checklist on file in their personnel folder.

UTILITY CART USE: Electrical Cart is used by food and farm staff and may be used by program staff with permission from respective food or farm manager or unless “reserved” card is placed in the steering clip board by management. The farm cart must never be used to transport food. Cart must be driven on the walking path. Kroka policy does not allow students to drive the utility carts.

CHAINSAW USE: Chainsaws stored in work shop. Chainsaw must be used with full hearing protection. Chainsaw use only by staff who have training certificate on file in the personnel folder. Chainsaw fuel and oil is stored with the chainsaw and in the gas storage behind the workshop.

LAWNMOWING AND TRIMMING EQUIPMENT: Lawnmowers and weed whackers are stored below the farmhouse food room. Lawnmower and weed whacker fuel is stored with equipment.

REGULAR GASOLINE is stored in a fuel locker near workshop. 11. WORKSHOP & CARPENTRY & GARDEN TOOLS

We strive to provide the best possible tools and equipment for each job.

ALL TOOLS MUST BE PUT AWAY AT THEIR “POINT OF ORIGIN” AT THE END OF EACH DAY Regardless of whether you may need the tool again tomorrow….

Broken tools brought to the attention of the facilities manager (Linda). If you use the last piece of hardware (screws, nails, glue), come to office and let facilities manager know for purchasing.

Many electrical power tools (tablesaw, sander, drills) have a serious risk of injury. Do not use power tools if you have not been trained in them. Do not allow young students to use power tools.

Workshop must be left clean (sawdust, scraps, etc.) with skylight closed and doors closed at the end of each day.

Campus Hand Held Radios Several years ago, Kroka added 8 hand held radios to facilitate communication on campus. Radios are stationed in the farmhouse main office, Misha’s desk, food room, and boathouse and farm office. Additional radios are stored in the charger in the main office. Radios require that staff be trained by Nathan in proper radio protocol and that they be signed out by staff and programs. Each radio costs $300 and the loss of a radio impacts other programs that need to have base camp communications. Please take extra care with radios and review lost or damaged equipment policy in the staff handbook.

ADVENTURE EXPEDITION EQUIPMENT

Storage & Maintenance

We have canoe rack for white water canoes and a canoe rack for general canoes.

During busy season, canoes are stored on trailers.

At the end of each week-long expedition, canoes must be removed from trailer and maintained: bolts tightened, holes patched, etc.

Staff wishing to borrow expedition equipment need to check in with administration before borrowing.

Boathouse Farmhouse Expedition Equipment Paddling Tents, Bug tents, Foot prints & Tarps Backpacks, Pack Liners, Barrels Mesh Bags, Dry Bags… Sleeping bags, Pads Gear for loan or rent to students Wannagain & contents Toilets & contents Food & Water containers and filters Cookstoves Climbing & Caving gear Expedition Electronics, Knives First Aid Kits, Repair Kits Off-Season storage Water Filters

Equipment must be repaired at the completion of each program, or make arrangements with someone who will do it for you.

FOOD SYSTEMS: EQUIPMENT, STORAGE, POLICIES, PROCEDURES

GENERAL FOOD NOTES:

Kroka food is stored in food room, kitchen, farm barn, and in the basement. Kroka food is not for personal consumption, but can only be used for official Kroka meals that are planned and cooked by an assigned staff member – such as a food manager, chore cook, or program leader with students. All use of Kroka food must be under the responsibility (and permission) of food manager, who needs to maintain planned quantities of every single item in order to support program pack-outs and feed staff each day. Seasonal staff, please see food policy in the Seasonal Staff Handbook. A kitchen is maintained at the Gaspe staff residence, but is limited to storing and cooking personal food - NOT KROKA FOOD. NOT EVEN EXPEDITION LEFTOVERS!!!

DURING OUR BUSY SEASON (MAY - SEPTEMBER) 3 KROKA MEALS PER DAY ARE OFFERED TO ANYONE UNDER A CURRENT CONTRACT

DURING OUR QUIET SEASON (OCTOBER - APRIL): LUNCH IS SERVED MONDAY-FRIDAY and BREAKFAST IS AVAILABLE TO ANYONE DOING MORNING CHORES Breakfast foods: Eggs and dairy as available per Lynne, root vegetables, spices, condiments, bread, flour, sugar, grains Weekday community lunch is a shared responsibility amongst staff (via sign-up) Lunch foods: Open condiments, spices, leftovers from staff fridge, pantry vegetables Please check-in with Lynne about use of any farm vegetables

GUEST MEALS: Campus guests are welcome to share in Kroka meals being served on campus, with the following conditions: 1) please let the kitchen staff know in advance about any guests that you are expecting 2) guests (which means anyone not under a current employment or volunteer contract) (or their hosts) will be charged $6/ per meal. This can be paid immediately in the kitchen or added to an employees running camp-store invoice.

FARMHOUSE BASEMENT LAUNDRY

Please read laundry room use guidelines (posted in laundry room) before use. Please air-dry your laundry on the drying rack at camp and use drying machine only if absolutely necessary. Kroka provides laundry detergent to seasonal staff. All unclaimed laundry found in washer or dryer will be put in lost-and-found in the farmhouse food room.

FARMHOUSE CAMP STORE

Camp store provides special equipment and supplies for sale to staff and guests. Prices are published on a price list in the camp store. Please familiarize yourself with how to make a sale, and complete the small sales invoice. Note that staff pricing is different (usually at wholesale cost) from regular customer pricing. This privilege is intended for you to purchase gear for your own professional or personal use; please do not abuse it.

FARMHOUSE OFFICE

USE OF OFFICE Seasonal staff are welcome to use Kroka office under the following guidelines:

Mail: Every staff member has a mailbox. Please check your mailboxes daily, while at camp. Do not store items in your mailbox.

Use of Kroka’s telephone lines for personal calls is limited to the staff phone booth, and limited to between the hours of 5PM - 9 PM, except in emergency or special circumstances. Local and long-distance calls are free. All international calls must be pre-paid.

Internet Access: Kroka sometimes provides (but does not guarantee) wireless internet access at the farmhouse for use by staff on any of their personal devices. Please see the IT coordinator or the office manager to get access to this password-protected network.

Because we are a large community and bandwidth is limited: please restrict your use to email and simple web browsing. Please do not use our wireless network for streaming video or, downloading music or podcasts. These activities have seriously disrupted our website and network operations in the past.

We notice that the temptations and availability of the online world have sometimes been detrimental to the social health of our community. As a community we have agreed that while on the Kroka campus we will limit our use of the internet to checking email and work-related web research. As a community, we may even choose to disable the internet at different times in order to allow staff to focus on the immediate experience of being part of our intentional community. You can find ample entertainment in our library of books and musical instruments, or in the natural world and surrounding area. You could even hang out with live people.

NOTE: In order to preserve the wilderness community immersion experience for young staff and students, internet access of any kind (web browsing, email, etc.) from any KROKA COMPUTER or PERSONAL DEVICE is NOT ALLOWED for STUDENTS at any time on our campus.

Guest Computer: Kroka provides at least one guest computer with network and printing access for staff to use at the top of the stairs. Kroka work takes precedence over personal needs. Please be aware of other people waiting in line to use it!!

Office supplies are not available for personal use. This includes stationary and postage. Seasonal staff, needing to work at the office will be accommodated with space, supplies and support.

TEACHING RESOURCE LIBRARY

BOOKS, MUSIC & CRAFTS

We are very fortunate to have this library at our work. These books are treasures to be shared between all of those who come to Kroka. Please follow the checkout system described below to borrow books. Treat these books as you would your own treasures and return them for others to use when you are finished.

To Check Out a Book, write your name and the book title on the clipboard which is hanging by the library books.

To Return Your Book: go back to the clipboard and mark the book as returned!!

Lost and Damaged Books If for some reason the book you have checked out is damaged beyond repair or lost entirely please write down the title and let Leah know. You may be responsible for replacing the book.

CRAFTS Craft supplies are stored in kits in the Farmhouse gear room, above the food room, available to be taken on programs. Spoon making and cordage making materials are in the workshop. Please re-assemble kits at the conclusion of your program.

YEAR-ROUND ON-CAMPUS STAFF HOUSING OPTIONS

Long-term year-round staff may be eligible (and encouraged) to lease on-campus housing.

Click here for the options with current rental rates

GASPE (formerly VINYLHAVEN)

History:

When Kroka moved to Marlow in 2007, Linda and Jeff Plaistead had just finished construction of their new home (now Gaspe). Jeff was on disability after having his leg permanently injured while working on a state road crew. Linda waitressed at the 99 restaurant in Keene. Jeff and Linda were great neighbors. They took care of little Danya and Mathias, invited Brita to eat grass on their lawn and Jeff did all of snow plowing, road and vehicle maintenance for Kroka. As it happens with people they were paying extremely high interest rate on their mortgage and when the financial crisis struck and Linda lost her main source of income (tips) they defaulted on their payments and property went into foreclosure. We tried to help but Deuche bank is in Santa Rosa and what we could offer did not even cover half of what they owed. Finally they borrowed some cash, bought a little house on Canadian border and closed the doors. House stayed abandoned for four years and bank did not respond to our inquiries. Then all of a sudden there was a “For Sale” sign and an immediate offer from someone out of state. Nathan, Misha and Hanah working out of Tim Hortons at the foot of Chick Chock Mountains orchestrated fast campaign to which Kroka community responded enthusiastically and we bought the property in March of 2013. Much work has been done by Kroka community since Gaspe was purchased– wood stove, sky tubes, painting, flooring. The house was transformed by many loving hands. Please do your part!

Who resides at Gaspe:

Gaspe housing is reserved for long-term (7-month) seasonal and year-round staff. Housing agreement: All residents will sign a lease.

Heating and cooking:

Wood cook stove is a primary source of heat and the only way to cook food in the winter months. Oil heat is used when ALL residents are away on expeditions and house is empty for extended periods of time Hot water: Is originating from an inefficient and expensive to use electric hot water heater

Laundry:

washing machine, indoor drying racks and outdoor clothes line are shared by all residents. Laundry detergent will be provided.

Garage:

The western half of the garage is reserved for staff bicycles and personal storage. Eastern half is for Kroka use. Please store outdoor equipment (skis, bikes, etc) in the garage

Parking:

Staff residing at Gaspe (or any staff!) may not leave vehicles overnight in the Gaspe parking lot. All overnight parking should be in the new Trailhead parking lot.

Food storage

All food must be refrigerated or stored in mouse proof containers. No food should be left out open on counters or in cabinets. PLEASE store in mouse proof containers. Please provide personal containers for food storage

Keeping beautiful space:

In the spirit of Kroka all Gaspe residents share responsibilities for keeping space clean, well organized and loved. Responsibilities include cleaning, cooking and maintaining outdoor gardens and spaces. In making space your own, please avoid nails, screws and tacks. Linda has special tape for you. Any improvements (new furniture, shelves, etc) has to be approved by Linda.

House manager:

Ezra Fradkin, a year-round resident of Gaspe is a house manager in 2019 and is responsible for chore rotation, reporting of maintenance needs and overall well-being of Gaspe staff house.

Sewing Room

Sewing equipment and materials are available for making or repair of Kroka gear and for personal projects. Please ask for and receive training on sewing machines before using them. Please get permission of facilities manager before using sewing materials for personal use, Please reimburse Kroka for personal use of Kroka's sewing materials. Please see facilities manager about any supplies that have been used up.

Bicycle Shop

Bicycles and repair equipment in the Gaspe bike shop are reserved for Kroka program activities only. If you need to use the bike shop for personal use, please obtain permission of the facilities manager.

OUTDOOR STAFF HOUSING

Staff Village Dwellings

Seasonal staff are housed in canvas wall tents set on platforms. Tents have been handcrafted by Tentsmith of Conway, NH or by the Kroka Community. Tents that are used in the spring and fall are equipped with wood stoves. Each dwelling is shared by 2 - 4 people. Staff are expected to keep inside and outside of their dwelling clean and orderly. All improvements, such as shelves, clearing of land, etc. should be pre-approved by Facilities Manager.

Dwellings will be assigned / please do not change dwellings without permission of Linda.

Canvas wall tents will be provided with: set of wooden shelves broom & dustpan doormat

Oil lamps are available (extra oil and funnel are stored in solar shed) upon request.

Any food stored in village dwellings must be kept in a rodent-proof container (that you provide). During the summer season, wooden clothing storage boxes may be provided on a first-come first-serve basis.

If your dwelling is equipped with a woodstove, please see and follow operations manual for WOODSTOVE PROTOCOLS.

All student or staff dwellings that are equipped with a woodstove must: - be equipped with smoke detector - be equipped with fire extinguisher - be inspected on a regular basis for rusty / disconnected stovepipe - have ashes cleaned out on a regular basis

Maintenance or improvements to your personal dwelling should take place during personal time-off, not during the workday.

For staff living in seasonal dwellings, Kroka will provide the following when appropriate:

- firewood supply (you are responsible for splitting wood and moving it to your dwelling)
- exterior seasonal maintenance
- use of solar electric system (for dwellings that are connected to the system)
- use of outdoor composting toilet facilities
- one parking spot and driveway plowing
- mailbox in the office for incoming mail
- evening 6-9 PM use of office space for personal needs: internet access, telephone use
- use of shower, laundry, and refrigerator space at the farmhouse.
- temporary use of other dwellings for personal guests, when available

Other Buildings

Director property was build by Misha and Lynne in 2011. They are often happy to give tours to point out the fine artistic design and energy efficient construction and special green technologies that have been installed.

Rogers Road house is currently leased and used as staff housing.

Staff Housing Expectations

- Pay rent promptly, by the first of each month (if applicable for year-round staff).
- Maintain the interior of the space in clean habitable condition (free of mold, dirt, insects, rodents)
- Keep all food in rodent-proof containers at all times.
- Maintain the exterior of the dwelling to be clean, tidy, and conforming to the ambience and presentation of a beautiful wilderness camp.
- Hang laundry only at the shared community clothes-line
- No nails, screws or tucks may be placed in the walls of the dwelling
- Alterations to the existing furniture can be made with facilities manager approval
- Dwelling is furnished with bed, mattress, one shelving unit per occupant, lights or oil lantern, wood stove, ash bucket and shovel, one water pot, broom, dust pan and brush, door mat. Tenant is responsible for all additional furniture and cooking equipment.
- Responsible for damage to dwelling and furniture
- Responsible to re-finish the floor, walls and furniture as needed and discussed with facilities manager

GUIDELINES for ALL PEOPLE LIVING on KROKA CAMPUS (including Rogers Road)

USE OF FARMHOUSE The farmhouse upstairs is a professional work space, and should only be used for Kroka business and occasional guest computer use. Personal telephone use is restricted to telephone booth at the bottom of the stairs. Staff are encouraged to use the farmhouse back porch, the boathouse upstairs, or personal dwellings as social hangout spaces.

MORNING CHORE EXPECTATIONS All adults and guests sleeping two consecutive nights or more on the Kroka campus are expected to report for morning chores. Exceptions may be made for the elderly, young children, or parents of young children, or those with off-campus employment that is not local or not within normal work hours. Long-term residents (staff, guests, family) are expected to do 5 days per week of chores (which may or may not coincide with weekends or other days-off).

Respecting the Neighbors

We will be always seen as newcomers to the Marlow area! Urinating in the view of the road or neighboring houses, nudity, loud noise, blocking the road are some of the examples of how we can annoy the neighbors. Lets work hard on being good neighbors!

Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana...

see special page substance use

Firearms

The storage, carrying, or use of personal firearms is not permitted on the Kroka campus or the Rogers Road farm. A Kroka-owned rifle for farm management may be kept in a locked cabinet under the care of the Executive director and farm manager. Any staff or visitors wishing to carry firearms onto Kroka property during hunting season must obtain permission from the Executive Director, Program Director, or Facilities Director.

Footwear Hygiene

Anyone with a foot fungus disease (“athlete’s foot”) must wear shoes or clean socks within all public buildings and enclosed spaces (including yurts).

Staff Personal Visitors & Overnight Guests

Residential staff are welcome to invite guests to campus under the following guidelines:

Staff should not host visitors of any kind on days while they are assigned to a student program.
Overnight guests require advance permission from a director (Executive Director, Program Director, or Facilities Director)
Overnight guests will be housed at the host's dwelling, subject of agreement with one's roommate(s)
Host is responsible for their visitor orientation to and conduct at Kroka
If your guests are staying with you for more than a night, we ask that they offer us 2 hours of community service work per day for every day of their stay in excess of 24 hours. Host is responsible for arranging work for their guests.

GOOD TIMES FOR SEASONAL STAFF TO HOST VISITORS: (assuming you have no program responsibilities)

- Monday Supper & Evening

- Tuesday All Day

- Wednesday All Day

- Thursday Supper & Evening

- Saturday program closings

BAD / INAPPROPRIATE TIMES FOR SEASONAL STAFF TO HOST VISITORS:

Friday Burrito Night

Saturday Afternoon & Evening

Sunday Morning

Pets - especially Dogs

Staff wishing to bring pets onto the campus must receive permission from the facilities manager.

Kroka’s campus exists for the purpose of education (a home for students and a place for learning), farming (gardens & livestock), and administration (supporting programs with office systems, facilities, food and equipment). Dogs have always been an important addition to the Kroka community, as personal companions, farm workers, and wilderness guides. We make every effort to welcome dogs at Kroka, while at the same time taking measures to make sure that they do not interfere with our primary mission. All dogs visiting or residing on campus must conform to these policies:

VISITING DOGS (NON-STAFF): No dogs can visit campus without prior permission from the facilities manager. Staff will be informed if a dog is visiting campus. Dog policies will be explained to visiting dog families. Visiting dogs on campus must remain under owners control at all times (on leash or within voice command).

SEASONAL STAFF & GUEST TEACHERS: Due to the intensive nature of the seasonal teaching profession, seasonal staff may not bring dogs to reside with them on campus. Guest teachers wishing to bring dogs on programs must have permission from program coordinator.

YEAR-ROUND DOGS IN RESIDENCE: Year-round staff may request to bring a dog to reside on campus with them. The request should be in writing, with an explanation of the living arrangements proposed. Dog committee (consisting of facilities manager and all other existing on-campus dog-owners) will meet the dog and approve the request if it seems feasible and that the dog would integrate with the existing human (and dog) community. To account for the additional use of our resources and wear-and-tear on facilities, an additional fee of $25 per month per dog will be added to the on-campus residential lease. *** Due to recent difficulties with dogs on campus, during the 2025 calendar year, staff residing on campus may not have a dog in residence on the immediate Kroka campus (south of Route 123), nor request any personal exceptions to any of these dog policies ***

YEAR-ROUND DOGS INSIDE THE FARMHOUSE: Dogs belonging to year-round staff members are welcome at the farmhouse (this means indoors, or outdoors within the immediate vicinity - porches, doorways, apple orchard) on FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, or SUNDAYS only between October 1st - April 30th. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate dogs at the farmhouse on other weekdays (staff meeting) or during our busy program summer season (May - September). Also, the number of dogs at the farmhouse at any one time will not exceed two (2).

All year-round staff dogs visiting the Kroka campus must have been vaccinated against rabies, treated to prevent fleas and ticks, and be legally registered by the dog's owner. All year-round staff dogs must be under good control by the dog's owner at all times while in the office and will not be barking, jumping, growling or fighting with other dogs, or threatening to people within the office.

YEAR-ROUND DOGS ON THE KROKA CAMPUS: Staff members working or recreating outdoors away from the farmhouse are welcome to be accompanied by their dog providing the dog is not interacting with program participants or livestock. If students are present on-campus, the dog must be on a leash.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

Here are some examples of times that have worked well to have a dog present:

- quiet days in the office during the quiet season (November - May) (one to six staff members in the building)

Here are some examples of times that would not be appropriate to have a dog present:

- program start days and program ending days, burrito nights

- summer staff training weeks in the farmhouse

- staff meetings, pre-trip meetings, post-trip meetings

- when an instructor is speaking to a group of students

- unleashed dogs in the student village while students are in the village

DAMAGES: All dog owners are personally responsible and liable for any damages to persons or property caused by a visiting or residential dog, regardless of the circumstances. This liability is not reduced or offset by the additional dog rental fee.

DOG ISSUES: Small issues and incidents with dogs are inevitable. When they occur, owners will receive a written or emailed reminder about the incident from our facilities manager. Repeated incidents will be reviewed by the dog committee and may result in requesting the dog no longer visit or reside on campus. Here is a partial list of specific issues which might occur:

Noisy barking
Fighting with other dogs
Running around outdoors out-of-control
Poop left in public areas
Intimidating, harassing, scratching, or biting people
Disrupting work in the office, barn, farm, or workshop
Disrupting vehicle or pedestrian traffic along the road
Eating food that was intended for human or livestock consumption
Threatening or molesting farm animals or wildlife
Damage to property (scratching, digging, odors, stains)

Campus-handbook