Inside California's 'meat camp,' where women learn to butcher and grill what's for dinner

Courtesy of Belcampo Meat Camp

Summer camps for grown-ups have surged in popularity in recent years, with more than one million adults going to camp each year. These getaways often combine sing-a-longs and bonfires with "flip cup" tournaments and costume parties, allowing people to revive childhood memories or experience the tradition for the first time.

But Meat Camp is neither the sleep-away camp you may remember from your childhood nor its rowdy grown-up imitation. Founded in 2015, the three-day retreat in northern California teaches attendees how to butcher their own meat and grill it over a wood fire.

Dozens of people attend annually, and registration starts at $1,400 per person.

One of the camp's five annual sessions is exclusively for women. Anya Fernald, cofounder and CEO of Belcampo Meat Co., which hosts the camp, wanted to create a safe space for women to learn culinary skills that are traditionally considered "men's work." Here's what it's like.