[Image: Group Photo]Students from throughout the state attended the annual Co-op Youth Camp sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Council of Farmer Cooperatives, at Camp Grant Walker Educational Center on April 3-5.
Over 70 high school students joined together to learn cooperative business principles. They also formed and operated their own cooperative called the Sugar Daddy Sugar Shack.
Representatives from the LSU AgCenter, LCFC, 4-H and other organizations were on hand to explain the various aspects of cooperative businesses, including supply, producer, marketing and service cooperatives. Then the students collaborated to put the principles into practice and worked together to serve the membership.
"This camp is an excellent opportunity for students from all over the state to see for themselves how cooperatives function," said LCFC board member Sandy Stockwell. "There's some type of cooperative to be found in just about every parish in the state and we feel it's important to understand what co-[Image: Co-Op Camp 2009]ops mean to the communities they serve."
It's also important that the students have some fun, Stockwell said. That's why the weekend agenda included lots of time dedicated to ice-breaker sessions, recreation, games, pizza parties, a D.J. and outdoor dance and lots of other activities.
The camp is the only one of its kind in Louisiana that combines participants from 4-H, FFA and FCCLA.
Congratulations to the following trip winners:
Amber Sharp - Vernon Parish
Shawna Simmons - Beauregard Parish
Hannah Thibodeaux - St. Martin Parish
Congr[Image: Having Fun!]atulations to the following $50 winners:
Dane Adams - LaFourche Parish
Brittany Babineaux - Ascension Parish
Blake Bowman - Livingston Parish
Rebecca Cavin - Concordia Parish
Kristen Davis - Calcasieu Parish
Shantoria Kidd - Union Parish
Trey Thibodeaux - St. Martin Parish