By Tanner Hood

Piles of green begin to grow as small, steady hands shuck freshly ripened sweet corn at the third annual Corn Camp hosted by Escambia County Young Farmers (ECYF). 

Over 80 students attended the two-day experience July 14-15 in Brewton where they learned about the value of agriculture, said ECYF Chair Kelsey Thompson Scott. 

“Farmers are important, and people today don’t understand how much they couldn’t do without agriculture,” Scott said. “A lot of these kids appreciate what they’re eating more when they know where it comes from and the hard work that goes into it.”

Scott said Corn Camp began almost as a joke but has quickly grown into a valuable opportunity for young students to learn about agriculture and heritage skills. 

“(My husband) Jacob had way too much corn planted in 2023, so he had the idea of having some kids come help pick it,” Scott said. “I put the idea out there on Facebook and jokingly said it would be great for character building. About 20 kids signed up.”

Corn Camp’s roots can be traced to Scott’s time with her grandmother. Campers pick, shuck, clean, bag and blanch corn — the same skills Scott’s grandmother taught her. 

“The whole point is to teach children what I consider a dying art,” Scott said. “They don’t know how to cream corn or where it comes from or how it grows.”

The days began early with students shuffling single file through towering stalks, picking ears and filling 5-gallon buckets. More than 4 tons were collected by the end of Day 2.

Once the corn was loaded on a trailer, the kids were bused back to the Scotts’ family farm. There, the air filled with a buzz of excitement and was punctuated with screams as the girls discovered earworms, some of which were flung their way by the boys. 

“Most of the kids that attend camp are from the city,” Scott said. “Some of them genuinely come to work, and some come to play. Either way, they’re learning a lot.”

After shucking, one group of young people began removing silks while others bagged untouched ears. Those bags were sold to the community to cover bus fuel costs. Following cleaning, the students enjoyed lunch and played on waterslides while volunteers blanched the corn. 

“The kids break into groups while some play and others cream,” Scott said. “Every child takes home corn plus a free T-shirt thanks to the Alabama Farmers Agriculture Foundation.” 

Even though her family farms, Corn Camp attendee Avery Salter, 11, said she loves to spend time with her friends while working hard. 

“Corn Camp gives everybody something to do and learn how to do,” Salter said. “I think it helps people have ideas for what they want to be in the future. I also enjoy learning to do stuff for myself and being a bit more independent.” 

Scott said her goal is for every child to have a similar experience. 

“I hope, at the end of the day, they are learning something new they can pass on for generations,” Scott said. “People can tell you about doing this all day, but until you sit down and experience it, you’re not learning.”