Written By Jonathan Eisenthal

On a bright, sunny October day, as Redwood County farmer Bruce Tiffany harvested his corn crop, over 200 sixth-graders from 13 southern Minnesota schools rode along in the cab.

The students learned how farmers use satellites, GPS and other technology to do their jobs. They asked Tiffany questions such as how much his combine costs, and how did he learn all the things he needs to know in order to be a farmer. One of the more surprising facts they learned is that Tiffany, 64, started farming when he was 11 — the age of many of the students he was addressing.

Of course, the students weren’t physically in the cab, but rather watching live by video over the internet. Their virtual visit was part of Farm Camp, a program of Minnesota Ag In The Classroom (MAITC). The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) has long supported MAITC because of its ability to reach young people with a positive message about farming and food.

MAITC acquired Farm Camp, which is free to schools and is focused on grades 5-12, in December 2018 and transformed it into a classroom-to-farm-bridging program. In 2021, 53 classrooms took part in 12 Farm Camp experiences.

“It is never too early to make connections and bring careers into conversations with students,” said Ann Marie Ward, Executive Director of the MAITC Foundation. “Farm Camp is a great addition to the overall programming of Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom. As we grow outreach, we deepen impact. We are very proud of what Farm Camp brings to the classroom.”

MCGA board member Todd Wentzel, a farmer in Murdock, says there’s a lot to like about Farm Camp.

“Farm Camp gets involved directly with the teachers, and coordinates with what they are teaching so they can incorporate information about agriculture into the lessons. I think that’s going to have a lasting effect,” he said.

The typical Farm Camp experience involves a single classroom. Usually, Farm Camp Program Director Ann Vote and the teacher partner to develop a three-day learning experience. The program has mostly been virtual during the pandemic.

“We like to make the connection to the educators first,” Vote said. “We get them excited to create an ag experience for their classroom. Then we make all the connections.”

Each Farm Camp wraps up with a presentation on careers in agriculture. Hearing that educators want more visual resources, Vote’s next venture will be the production of eight “career chain” videos, each 10 to 15 minutes long. The videos will show all the people who are involved in taking something from farm field to finished product.

“In the case of our farm, it’s a long list,” Tiffany said. “We rely on agronomists and crop protection specialists, insurance people, accountants and bankers. … You rely on all of these people that a functioning community has to have.”

Tiffany has been passionate about farming since he started, and he is a proud MCGA member. He sees the organization as the perfect vehicle to communicate to the public about the hows and whys of farming today. (You can read more about Bruce’s presentation and see video from the day here.)

In 2022, MAITC plans to continue offering Farm Camp to schools across Minnesota. Additionally, the organization plans to continue offering free lesson plans, teacher trainings and tours, educational resources and its flagship AgMag magazine. (In 2021, for the first time, MAITC has created two editions of AgMag. The organization produces seven versions of each edition — one for each elementary school grade.)

To learn more about the program, visit farmcampminnesota.org.