2021 - Volume #45, Issue #6, Page #21
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Farm Camp Brings Ag To Classrooms
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“We know that kids learn best about a topic when they hear from people that are actually doing what they’re studying,” says Ann Vote, Farm Camp Minnesota Program Director. “That’s why we work to bring them to the farm or bring the farm right to them.”
“Farm Camp is a 3-day experience,” Vote says. “On Day 1, students learn in the classroom. They connect with the expert and take a farm tour on Day 2, and then have a career lesson on Day 3.
“Due to Covid, in 2020 we shifted to virtual visits, which worked well,” Vote says. “We did 11 virtual visits in 2020 and one on-site visit.”
As the 2021–2022 school year gets underway, she says most scheduled visits will be virtual. While some may be disappointed about not traveling to farms, the virtual visits do offer an advantage.
The virtual visits allow classes to hear from presenters they would otherwise not see due to how far they are from the classroom.
There are also a lot of potential ag hosts who run dairy or hog operations and would love to bring kids out but can’t due to biosecurity and other concerns.
“The fact that we’ve been able to use their cameras to see these sites that kids would never be allowed to visit otherwise has been great,” she says.
“We also spend time helping the host set up an engaging presentation,” Vote added. “So far, the engagement during the virtual presentations has been fantastic.”
Farm Camp Minnesota goes into schools all over the state.
“In the last several decades, we’ve taken agriculture out of the classrooms,” she says. “We don’t teach about where our food comes from anymore.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ann Vote, Farm Camp Minnesota, P.O. Box #987, Bemidji, Minn. 56619 (ph 507-381-1425; director@farmcampminnesota.org; www.farmcampminnesota.org).
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