In addition to leadership training and inspirational speakers Farmers Union Camps are full of fun camp traditions like campfires, songs, talent night and more! Pictured here left to right: Cadence Konechne, Lizbeth Crosby, Madisyn Raymond, Loreli Ruhnke and Brooke LaMont.
On Haddie Perrion’s 6th birthday, she was excited because finally she was old enough to attend Farmers Union Camp.
“She was counting the days because she had watched her older sister go to day camp and Youth Camp and she saw how much fun Bexley had,” explained Haddie’s mom, Sarah.
Like most of the more than 1,000 youth who attend Farmers Union Summer Camps, Bexley and Haddie live in rural South Dakota. So Farmers Union Camps are designed for them with fun activities focused on farm safety, agriculture careers, cooperatives and opportunities for confidence-boosting leadership development, explained Karla Hofhenke, Executive Director of South Dakota Farmers Union.
“Farmers Union invests in summer camps because of the positive impact camp education has on rural youth,” said Hofhenke. “Agriculture is our state’s No. 1 industry and rural youth are the future of agriculture in South Dakota. The youth who attend these camps will be the next farmers, ranchers, teachers, agronomists, Extension staff, ag loan officers and cooperative employees – we want to help prepare them for careers and leadership roles in our rural communities.”
Fun for kids and affordable for parents
South Dakota Farmers Union subsidizes their summer camps so that they are affordable for South Dakota’s farm, ranch and rural families. The organization even provides transportation to their youth and teen leadership camps.
“Investing in our youth is investing in our future,” Hofhenke explained.
The state’s largest agriculture organization offers several camp opportunities:
State Sr. Camp – for youth grades 7 through 12 – June 7-12 at Storm Mountain in the Black Hills, visit www.sdfu.org to register
State Jr. Camp – for youth ages 9 to 12 – July 19-22 at Camp Byron near Huron, visit www.sdfu.org to register
Day Camps – for youth ages 6 to 12 – located statewide, visit www.sdfu.org for date and location near you
Youth leaders help plan camp
Like Haddie Perrion, 16-year-old Loreli Ruhnke’s older siblings are the reason she wanted to attend Farmers Union Camp.
“My big sister, LizBeth would come home from Farmers Union camp and talk about how much fun she had and all the awesome people she met – so I could not wait until I was old enough to attend,” Ruhnke explained.
Today, Ruhnke serves on the Junior Advisory Council (JAC). It’s a team of youth, nicknamed JACs, selected through an interview process and elected by their peers to help plan and facilitate camp.
“When I was a camper, I looked up to the JACs. They made a point to come up to me and talk to me and introduce me to other campers and make sure I was having fun,” Ruhnke explained. “Now that I am serving in this role, I want to do the same for campers.”
In addition to campfires, camp songs and other camp traditions, Farmers Union Camp is unique because campers gain hands-on experience in running a cooperative.
“Historically, cooperatives were integral in the development of South Dakota’s rural infrastructure – even today they remain relevant,” Hofhenke explained. “Many rural citizens receive their fuel, water, electricity, internet and farm inputs from a cooperative. So, it is important that rural youth understand how they operate and their value to their communities.”
During camp, youth run a cooperative focused on newspaper, housing, snacks, insurance and credit union.
“I did not think about cooperatives in the slightest before learning about cooperatives at Farmers Union Camp,” said Coltyn Raymond, 17, a junior at Ethan High School. “After learning about them, I now realize how present they are in my daily life growing up in rural South Dakota. And now I notice all these co-ops that have been around all along. Now, I realize their worth and what they do for people.”
It was Raymond’s older sister, Madi, who inspired him to attend Farmers Union Camp and serve as a JAC. In addition to cooperative education, Raymond said the leadership development training he received at Farmers Union Camp has helped him succeed in other organizations like FFA and Student Council.
“Because of Farmers Union Camp I am able to get up in front of my class and speak. At camp I learned how to give speeches and I learned about parliamentary procedure and I gained a lot of confidence talking to people I just met. Before camp I was shy. Camp really brought me out of my shell.”
To learn more about Farmers Union Camp, visit www.sdfu.org or contact Karla Hofhenke at Karla@sdfu.org.
