Farm Camp Minnesota gives students the opportunity to explore the many careers needed in the agriculture industry through a three step process. The first step provides an in-class learning through grade-specific, curriculum-based lesson plans that connect with the second step, a visit to a farm or agribusiness. After the in person tour, students will do a career exploration to help them connect the many opportunities available to them in this industry. A frequent reminder to everyone that there are more jobs in the industry that do not need to get their hands dirty.
St. Paul Public Schools Farm Camp Field Day
The purpose of this Farm Camp experience for this high school sustainable food production class was to expose students to the dairy industry, allow them to interact with animals and see the entire process of milk to cheese production. As a result of this Farm Camp, students have a 49.4% increase in understanding of how agriculture is used in their life!
About the Farm Camp Experience
On May 14, 2024 50 students grades ninth through twelfth in St. Paul Public Schools attended the Farm Camp Field Day. The two farm visits were at CannonBelles Cheese and the Square Deal Dairy where students personally witnessed the process from milk to cheese production.
What is something you learned more about that you feel you could clearly explain to someone else?
The safety of milk quality
How to make cheese
Diets of the cows and how they only eat specific things
The process of how the cows are milked
I could explain the process of milking cows to the cheese/dairy shop.
The temp that the milk has to be at in order to be able to sell it
Sustainable Food Production Class Students
St. Paul Public Schools
St. Paul Public Schools Farm Camp Field Day
After the Farm Camp Minnesota experience, 81.3% of the students said that they could name five agricultural careers in the world (other than farmers); growth from 29.4% prior to Farm Camp! This was a 51.9% growth in understanding as a result of one Farm Camp experience!
It was fun to share our part of the dairy story with the students. They were a great group of youth - very respectful and kind. Some were very enthusiastic about learning the process of cheese making. They had some great questions throughout the tour. It was good for them to be able to see the full process from the farm to the end product of cheese - farm to table. We had a cheese taste testing time at the end of the tour and I think that may have been their favorite part.