The seventh annual Farm Camp Minnesota will be hosted at three locations this summer.

Farmers, farm organizations, agribusinesses and volunteers work together to offer these special one-day camps for youth entering grades 3-6.

On July 17, Farm Camp Minnesota will be held at Meadowbrook Dairy, Sartell.

On Aug. 13 and 14, the camp will be held at Farmamerica, Waseca.

On Aug. 16, the camp will be held at Wolf Creek Dairy, Dundas.

Each camp, to be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, requires preregistration.

Camp coordinator Kathy Guse says the camps allow students the opportunity to learn about modern agriculture — where their food comes from, how it is grown and how farm products are used in daily life.

“Each camper will have the opportunity to learn about various types of livestock and crop farms, including pork, beef, dairy, turkey, sheep, corn and soybeans,” Guse says. “They will also learn about the equipment used in farming, and at some of the sites, will each get a ride in a tractor.”

Camper feedback over the years has been positive, Guse notes. She has received numerous comments, ranging from “We are telling everybody we know about your camp!” to “We had a great time!”

Parents also have given the camps solid reviews: “Thank you! Volunteers, presenters and farmers are all top-notch!”; “Very educational and fun with lots of hands-on activities.”; and “Everything was well organized.”

And camp sponsors also offered feedback: “Thanks for all that you do at Farm Camp Minnesota. I want you to know that of all the things I sponsor/donate to/support, that Farm Camp Minnesota is by far the easiest check to write. I think it is important to remind my customers that if we don’t do things like you are doing, that this occupation and way of life, frankly, will continue to shrink from the population as people lose sight of its value to society.”

Registration is available online. For the Sartell camp, the early bird registration fee is $15 per individual before June 15 and $25 afterward, until the registration deadline of June 22 or the camp is full.

For the camps at Waseca, the early bird registration fee is $15 per individual before June 22 and $25 after that, until the registration deadline of July 23 or when the camp is full.

Guse says that there are group rates available for 10 or more campers. The fee includes lunch, snacks, a T-shirt and a fun bag to take home.

She adds that the Dundas camp has already been filled for this year. However, a waiting list is being compiled.

“We cannot guarantee that there will be any openings. If any camper wishes to be on the waiting list, please email us with your name and contact information,” Guse says.

For more information or to register, visit farmcampminnesota.org or email [email protected].

For group rates and to register groups, contact Guse via email or postal mail at P.O. Box 93, Janesville, MN 56048, or call 507-351-9348.

Source: Farm Camp Minnesota