Next farming generation enjoy school holidays at a hands-on youth dairy camp

The Western District Youth Camp is packed to the brim with 50 eager children aged 8-16 from across Victoria.

The camp, hosted at Noorat Showgrounds, will finish today after starting on Wednesday to help encourage children to learn more about the dairy industry.

Camp goers hailed from Gippsland, northern Victoria, South Australia, and south-west Victoria, to join the camping program which was last hosted in 2020.

Most attendees had farming backgrounds, but some had minimal to no experience with agriculture.

For Simpson's Halle Barake, 12, she said she enjoyed learning skills that would be useful to bring back to her family farm and her showing.

"I can't pick just one, it's all been good," she said.

Ms Barake also said she particularly enjoyed a demonstration on the right techniques to birth a calf.

"I enjoyed sticking my hand up the fake cow," she said.

Her dad and camp volunteer, John Barake, said the camp was particularly helpful to show young people the career opportunities in agriculture.

"On the showing side of it, just letting the kids learn how to lead and get a different perspective on it, and learning about clipping cows," he said.

"They've had a few talks with WestVic Dairy about the careers in agriculture so that's opened up a few opportunities and ideas for the other kids.

"You don't have to milk cows to be in the industry."

Former camp participant and current volunteer, Abbie Hanks, Cobden, said she was part of the first dairy youth camp and felt eager to help guide the newer participants.

She said the camp was incredibly valuable for its encouragement to for students to collaborate, socialise, and learn.

"I wanted to help out in some way when they said they were going to start it up again, I put my hand up and said I'd help out," she said.

"All of the activities have been really good, my group in particular have really enjoyed being with their animals and getting an animal each.

"I got to do a demo and teach the kids, so for me as a leader that was really good to try and have that experience being a role model."

Ms Hanks said the camp acted as a great base to encourage young people to enter the dairy industry.

"It's also such a good camp for the kids to come to and meet new friends, you can see them all connecting and starting friendships, they've learnt so much," she said.

Organising committee member Lucy Collins, DemoDAIRY Foundation, said the returning camp included more opportunities for hands-on learning to help shape young people's careers.

"Historically the camp had a strong focus on teaching children to show cattle but this year's event has been expanded into a more inclusive opportunity for young people to be exposed to cattle handling, care and husbandry," she said.

"It's much more than just showing and there is a strong focus on farming careers."

The camp was traditionally affiliated with Holstein cattle, but expanded this year to include Jerseys and other breeds.

Ms Collins said they had a large number of applications for the camp program, which showed an eagerness for people to learn more about cattle.

"Unfortunately, we had to turn some people away, which is indicative of the appetite for learning about cattle and to have this type of experience with other young people," she said.

"It's about connecting kids to other kids to share similar experiences and interests and also expose young people who haven't had the opportunity to experience the agricultural lifestyle."

The camp's organising committee also included former participants of the program, through the DemoDAIRY Foundation and its sponsors.

"[The former attendees] have benefited from the camps in the past and have now volunteered to share their experiences as group leaders," Ms Collins said.