“Can we come and volunteer tomorrow?” is not what you expect to hear from young people who had just spent the past two weeks of their summer holidays in a youth Agripreneurship class, noted Executive Director of Campti Field of Dreams (DREAMS), a local nonprofit organization. The theme of the class was Grow Green, a concept carried over from the NRCS Strikeforce outreach events organized by DREAMS. The idea of using your backyard to grow food and earn money was not lost on the children. “Their excitement was contagious and so we are doing it again, but this time it is for adults,” said Isaacs. The class will be held Monday and Tuesday mornings (9/19-20, and 9/26-27) from 8:30 – 11:30 am at the Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Farm, 681 Campti Bayou Road, Campti. For more information, contact Donna Isaacs at 318-573-7552 or via email: donnalaisaacs@gmail.com.

Both executive director, Donna Isaacs and co-instructor Waylon Breaux are recent graduates of the Louisiana Master Gardener program by LSUAg Center and quickly put their knowledge to work in the community.Students learned about the importance of soil health, built a hugelkultur bed, started a compost pile, mulched raised beds, harvested produce and planted seeds for their very own fall garden. They toured Ed Lester and Anderson farm stands and discussed marketing their products.

Jim Kilcoyne of the Small Business Development Center shared the basics of writing a business plan with the young participants at the Campti Historic Museum. During the Lunch n Learn at the museum students read Who Owns the Ice House and discussed the traits required to be a successful entrepreneur.Dr. Chrissy Mogren, from LSUAg discussed pollinators and their importance to regenerative agriculture in the Natchitoches Parish Library (Campti). The class also included daily computer time at the library.Class size was limited to eight of which seven graduated.