by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Some “city-slicker” children and probably even some adults think food products just somehow appear magically in supermarkets – on aisle shelves and in coolers.
They don’t stop to think such food items are the result of a lot of expertise and hard work on farms, including the many family farms throughout Minnesota.
That is why the Farm Camp idea started in Waseca four years ago – to enlighten children about farm life and farm work. And that is why Katie Schmitt will play host to children at a Farm Camp Tuesday, July 26, at her family’s dairy farm halfway between Rice and Royalton.
Katie’s parents, Mark and Natalie Schmitt, operate a 100-cow dairy farm on which Katie grew up, worked hard, and gained a wealth of knowledge and know-how. She is going to share the hands-on knowledge with children in grades 3-6 during the all-day Farm Camp, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Schmitt Farm Camp is one of three Farm Camp sites for children on July 26. There are two near Waseca and one near Dundas. Registration, which costs $20 per child, is still open. To register, go to www.farmcampminnesota.org. Those who attend the camp will receive lunch, two snacks, a T-shirt and a goodie bag to take home.
Schmitt, a 2013 finalist for Benton County Dairy Princess, learned about Farm Camps through an internship last spring with the Farm Bureau. When she was asked if she’d like to host a Farm Camp on her family’s farm, she leaped at the chance as a strong believer in agricultural education. To that end, she just recently accepted a job as a communicator for World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., an organization that hosts a week-long expo in Madison attended annually by 70,000 visitors from all over the world and featuring cattle from across the United States and Canada. Schmitt recently graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in animal science.
At the Schmitt farm Farm Camp, there will be eight learning stations on a rotation basis: corn, soy beans, dairy, beef cattle, pigs, poultry, pollinators (mainly bees) and vegetable gardening. At each station, there will be a 15-minute lecture followed by 15 minutes of hands-on activities. After the learning sessions, kids will be given a tour of the Schmitt farm.
“We want to help educate kids about the importance of the role of agriculture in the world,” Schmitt said. “And some who attend the Farm Camp might even decided to become farmers. We can always hope so.”
Katie Schmitt proudly poses with a favorite Holstein, Emmy Lou. Schmitt will host a Farm Camp for children on her family farm just north of Rice. Parents should register their children for the camp as soon as possible so Schmitt can prepare for how many children will attend the July 26 event.
