8th Annual Summer Day Camp at Empire Farm in Copake NY
August 5-9, 2019
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Camp FarmOn! is an Entrepreneurial Agriculture Youth Initiative as a summer learning opportunity for youth residing in the Hudson Valley Region and nearby communities. This innovative summer enrichment camp is a hands-on learning model blending the format of the popular television show, “Shark Tank,” with summer camp to foster the entrepreneurial spirit for youth in agriculture.

 

This hands-on learning experience for youth is a day camp run on our youth education farm. Students apply to attend FREE OF CHARGE thanks for FarmOn! Foundation fundraising efforts.

 

Camp FarmOn! will run for five consecutive days this summer: August 5th through August 9th, 2019, with a pre-orientation night on Friday August 2nd, 6:30pm to 8:00pm. The camp will have a total enrollment of 30 students entering grades 8-11.

Program Overview

Students arrive at Empire Farm daily for activities and visit local family farms and food businesses who support local agriculture. Students develop 21st century skills sets through adventure-based training, while experiencing the basics of farming and develop business acumen from hands-on learning with staff on daily field trips. Students will be assigned to a team and a “coach” with students from our in-residence Ag-Academy.

 

During these field trips, students take note of challenges and opportunities business owners like farmers face daily. Awareness compels kids to think of profitable solutions for farming that culminates at week’s end with a team pitch to a “Shark Tank”, building confidence through trial, and a connection to where your food is from, how it’s made and focus on business. Our Victory Garden is their field “as classroom” with hands-on learning and nature-based experiences.

 

Student’s breakout into teams based on their first activities to determine interests and talent. The teams then meet daily throughout the week to create a concept to pitch to a group of sharks for potential investment and consultation. During the week, student teams work to develop a concept with a profitable solution for farming, and formulate a pitch to prove it can generate additional revenue for a local farm or an agricultural business.

 

The program pinnacle showcases each team of students pitching their idea to a panel of “sharks” (venture capitalists) who chose to “invest” in any viable business presented to them by each team on the final day.

 

This experience for youth foster the entrepreneurial spirit and gets them comfortable with ideation, constructive criticism, team work and public speaking in the process and development of the pitch and touch point with business principles and making a living.

How It Works

 

Children ages 12-16 join us daily from 8-4pm at Empire Farm. Each day on a schedule, students visit local farms and food businesses to learn the business of food and formulate ideas around profitable solutions for the industry. Daily field-trips include visits to food producers, restaurants, small businesses and farms as well as activities and garden work at Empire Farm for engagement and experiences with food and farming for interactive project – learning and a whole lot of summer camp fun!

Food

Students bring daily lunch, cooking classes and snacks are provided. Re-Useable Water bottles a must!

Cost

FREE with Scholarship

Sign Up

Limited space is available! To inquire for an application email: tara@farmonfoundation.org

Where

Empire Farm, 556 Empire Road, Copake NY 12516

What

Camp FarmOn! will run for five consecutive days Summer 2019

When

August 5th through August 9th, 2019

Who

Students entering grades 8-11 (ages 12-16+) The camp operates with a total enrollment of 30 students.

Orientation

Friday August 2nd, 2019 6:30pm – 8:00pm at Empire Farm

Transportation is provided for the field trips and with bus pick up/drop off in Columbia/Greene counties.

 

Our goal is to build a talent pipeline for the local food system with the next generation to feed us. Each team will develop a product or service that focuses on an overall single goal: Sustaining Profitability in Agriculture. Our program model can easily be replicated in other locations throughout the state and the country, please inquire!

Accomplishments

 

  • 2012 Camp FarmOn! launches in partnership with 4H, Questar and Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • 2017 Camp FarmOn! has funded 119 students for 6 years
  • “WEED OUT” tractor implement project in development with FFA students

Be In The Audience

You are welcome to join us for presentations August 11 at 5pm at Empire Farm in Copake NY! Parents, friends, family, educators, business leaders and the community are all welcome to visit us at Empire Farm for these filmed presentations and a chance for investment in innovative student ideas!

 

Limited space is available!
To inquire for an application email:tara@farmonfoundation.org