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Rule of the Day: “Love Camp!”
 Gentle giant Mike Gast is not a man happy being stuck only in the kitchen. He thrives on being around camp and campers. Thus, his “rule of the day”: A daily dining hall message to camp preaching not only meal etiquette, but values about life.
Gast first came to camp in 1993, following in the footsteps of his wife Mary, a former Camp MacCready section head and riding instructor. He has served as a kitchen assistant, head chef, year-round maintenance staff and, now, Director of the kitchen. During the winter he splits his time between driving a school bus, and training race horses in Saratoga Springs, NY.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST CAMP DINING CHANGES OVER THE YEARS? “We have so many more dietary needs than we used to. Food allergies. Vegetarians. Vegans. Another change is that we serve more salad and fruit. We used to serve only fruit for lunch. Now, it’s available all day. Also, I try very hard to serve fresher food; shorter time from oven to plate”
WHAT IS YOUR DAY AT CAMP LIKE? “I start at around 6:00am every morning, except every third day when I have to pick up milk by 5:00am. Soon after breakfast ends, we start with lunch. Maybe we get an afternoon off after lunch. Most nights I do paperwork, and some nights I may be in the kitchen until midnight.”
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN YOUR JOB? “We serve 310 meals, three times a day. Close to a thousand meals a day is a challenge in terms of menu planning, storing food and serving amounts. I want to serve high quality food that the campers will like while also being economical for camp. Also, we (the kicthen staff) have to always be on course with requirements for health standards”
WHAT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING A CHEF AT CAMP? “I love being here. I sense the pride in camp. Even though I’m stuck in the kitchen, I try to take an hour every day to take a swim, go for a hike or enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of the Adirondacks. Last night I saw an eagle. Beautiful! I feel better when I’m here. ”
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Pok-O-MacCready Camps split a pair of soccer games with Camp Lincoln Tuesday afternoon with the younger boys dropping a 5-2 decision while the older team cruised to a 6-2 win.
