Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat, Tina Horn

September 13, 2022

Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat

Clemson University Cooperative Extension hosted the 2022 Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat July 10 to 14. The annual youth retreat rotates through five of the Southeastern states including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The week is full of farm tours, non-farm tours, workshops, and other learning opportunities for youth interested in Dairy. The retreat is open to youth from the ages of 6 to 19 who are interested in learning more about dairy cattle and the dairy industry and meeting youth from across the Southeast with those same interests.

This year’s retreat was headquartered in Clemson, SC at the T Ed Garrison Arena. 75 youth and adults from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia had the opportunity to participate in hands-on dairy foods and meats workshops, tours of the Clemson Blue Cheese and 55 Exchange Ice Cream processing sites, learning sessions, and a skill-a-thon contest to test their knowledge of dairy and animal agriculture.  Also included in the retreat was a variety of farm tours and recreational events.  The group toured the Clemson dairy, beef, and sheep farms, Milky Way Farm, Happy Cow Creamery, and the Roper Mountain Science Center.