For Minnewaska Elementary’s 5th graders, agriculture jumped off the page and into real life during a memorable Farm Camp Minnesota experience on October 30, 2025. Thanks to a Farm Camp Minnesota Transportation Grant, students traveled beyond the classroom to explore local agriculture at Dorrich Dairy, RDO Potatoes, MaxBats, and Brut Worm Farms.
This Annual Minnewaska Ag Day is designed to support agriculture education at Minnewaska Elementary, and this year’s visit proved just how powerful hands-on learning can be.
Learning Agriculture in the Classroom
Before leaving school, students explored agriculture through Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom curriculum aligned with state standards. Lessons focused on where food comes from, how plants and animals grow, and how science, technology, and careers connect to agriculture.
By the time students boarded the bus, they already understood key concepts. This preparation helped students ask thoughtful questions and make deeper connections during their Farm Camp Minnesota experience.
Seeing Agriculture Up Close
Each stop offered students a unique look at modern agriculture and agribusiness. At Dorrich Dairy, students were fascinated by robotic milking systems and surprised to learn that cows are milked by machines. One of the most unforgettable moments was seeing a calf that had been born just an hour before the class arrived.
At RDO Potatoes, students were amazed by the sheer scale of production. “There were 2 million potatoes. I never saw that many before!” one student shared. Of course, the highlight for many was taking home a potato, consistently a favorite part of any Farm Camp Minnesota experience.
Learning Beyond the Expected
At MaxBats and Brut Worm Farms, students explored industries they hadn’t expected to encounter. They learned how professional-grade baseball bats are made by sanding, shaping, and staining wood, and discovered that MaxBats supplies bats to professionals.
At Brut Worm Farms, curiosity turned into excitement as students learned about the worm life cycle and how worm castings (yes, worm poop!) help plants grow. Touching the worms and completing a scavenger hunt reinforced lessons in a fun, memorable way. As one student put it, “There’s more to dairy cows, potatoes, worms, and baseball bats than what I ever knew.”
Knowledge That Sticks
The impact of this Farm Camp Minnesota experience was clear. Before the tour, 78% of students felt at least somewhat knowledgeable about the agricultural industries they were visiting. Afterward, that number jumped to 93.5%. Even better? When asked if they wanted to do another Farm Camp experience, the answer was a resounding yes.
By connecting students directly with farmers and agribusiness professionals, Farm Camp Minnesota continues to grow understanding, spark curiosity, and show students how agriculture touches their everyday lives.
Interested in bringing a Farm Camp Minnesota experience to your classroom or farm? Let’s get connected and keep growing the next generation of ag-aware learners.
