S.D. Farmers Union hires summer interns

HURON – South Dakota Farmers Union has hired four summer interns to organize and facilitate the family farm organization’s summer youth education programs and summer camps. The 2013 interns are Kortny Sterrett and Emma Smith, both of Huron, Hannah Lily of Aberdeen and Nicole Seible of Merrill, Iowa.

“I’m so pleased that these four talented young ladies have committed to work with our Farmers Union youth this summer,” said Bonnie Geyer, the organization’s state education director. “They’ll have the opportunity to travel across the state and pass along their knowledge to our young people and help them learn about agriculture and cooperation while enhancing their leadership and financial literacy skills.”

Hannah Lily, in her second year as a Farmers Union summer intern, attends Houghton College in Houghton, N.Y., pursuing a degree in business administration and writing. She is the daughter of Christine Lily and the late Bob Lily and has been active in the Farmers Union youth program as a camper, Junior Advisory Council member, Farmers Union Torchbearer, scholarship recipient and a member of the National Youth Advisory Council.

Emma Smith, also in her second year with Farmers Union, is a graduate of Huron High School and just completed her sophomore year at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion majoring in advertising and public relations. She is the daughter of Jeff and Jamie Smith of Huron.

Kortny Sterrett, also a native of Huron, is in her first summer with Farmers Union. She attends the University of South Dakota, majoring in contemporary media and journalism. She is the daughter of Cory and Shanna Sterrett of Huron.

Also in her first year with Farmers Union, Nicole Seible of Merrill, Iowa, attends South Dakota State University at Brookings, majoring in agribusiness. She is the daughter of Mark and Connie Seible of Merrill, Iowa.

Nearly 2,000 South Dakota

youth will participate in South Dakota Farmers Union youth camps this summer from every county in the state. Camps are held at the local, county, district and state levels each summer. Local and county day camps held across the state for youth ages 6-13 will feature crafts, cooperative games and a time of learning about leadership, citizenship, agriculture, environmental stewardship and other life skills. Three-day district camps are held at three different sites in South Dakota over the summer. These overnight camps feature many of the same components as day camps, but dive deeper as youth set up their own cooperatives and participate in traditional camp favorites like campfires, canoeing, swimming and other activities.

A weeklong Farmers Union state camp is held at Storm Mountain Center near Rapid City in the Black Hills. The camp is for youth ages 14-19 and focuses on cooperative education and leadership training. The youth set up a cooperative store at the camp, a credit union, cooperative insurance company and other cooperative businesses. They experience real life scenarios like putting their own real money in a credit union and writing a check to the cooperative store for snacks or drinks.

Registration for many county and district camps and state camp is now open. Visit the education page at http://www.sdfu.org to find registration forms and more information.