Camp Roar Cultivates Student Interest in Ag
by RYAN MILEJCZAK
photos provided by Camp ROAR
Even though agriculture is part of Florida’s DNA, students in Florida don’t always have the opportunity to get face-to-face with agriculture. That means they miss out on a key experience that can help steer them toward careers in ag.
One camp in Lake Wales is working to change that: Camp ROAR.
The story starts in 2017, when the Florida FFA Foundation announced they’d no longer be able to host summer camps at their FFA Training Center. That was when a donor approached the team at Warner University, including Scarlett Jackson, then Director of Ag Development, now Assistant VP of Ag Programs and External Relations.
When the donor spoke about ideas for how to get involved with agriculture and education, the wheels started spinning in Jackson’s mind.
“What came to the forefront of my mind was that, in the summers, we have the dorms, we have the space, we have the faculty, we have the students. So let’s start a camp and be the hands and feet of the ag industry,” she recounts.
The team presented a grant proposal to the Thompson Legacy Foundation and was able to secure funding to cover the majority of the costs of the camp.
That year, they kicked off the inaugural Camp ROAR, giving about 25 students three days of immersion in Florida’s agricultural industry. Since then, the camp has grown to 55 students a year attending a four-day camp.
“It has been so fun to see how the camp has grown and how quickly it fills up every year,” says Abby Crawford, director of Camp ROAR. Crawford, a Warner graduate, is Program Recruiter for the university’s ag department.
“Our goal is for campers to see different avenues in the Florida ag industry and see different ways that they can be a part of it,” she explains. “The camp is for every student who has a heart for ag and wants to be invested in it and appreciate what goes into it.”
Jackson speaks about how this is accomplished.
“The biggest thing is getting them exposure to agriculture,” she says. “Every year we’re picking a commodity or topic and then teaching the students the most we can about it.”
Campers learn about the topic, tour industry facilities, and take part in relevant activities.
“Last year’s focus was around the dairy industry,” recounts Jackson. “So, we went to a creamery, we went to Milking R Dairy in Okeechobee, and we went to Syfrett Feed to learn about feed additives and other things happening within the dairy industry.”
Previous topics have included the beef industry — which featured a steak dinner cooked by Polk Country Cattlemen — and land and water conservation. In addition, there is still plenty of old-fashioned summer camp fun, like kiddie pool kickball.
Every year’s topic is a surprise until campers arrive, and the team at Camp ROAR is tight-lipped about this year’s focus. But they did give one hint: If you like funnel cake and fish fries, you’ll like Camp Roar.
This year’s camp will also weave faith-based components into the experience.
“I want students to know that, if they’re saying, ‘Hey, my faith is really important to me, but so is ag. Where can I get that kind of niche opportunity?’ Well, that’s Warner,” Crawford says. “So I’m excited to add that extra layer to Camp ROAR.”
The team hopes Camp ROAR will help show campers all the different ways they can get involved in agriculture.
“Camp ROAR is great because it showcases careers the kids may not have even heard of,” says Crawford. “We have a lot of students that are fresh to Florida, that didn’t grow up on legacy ranches. And a lot of these kids are saying, ‘I love ag, I want to be involved, how can I do that?’ ”
Crawford has seen the camp accomplish this goal firsthand, with many of her campers later going on to study agriculture at Warner.
“I had a camper who was in the eighth grade, and he came every single year of high school,” she recounts. “His very first year, he told me, ‘Oh yeah, I want to go to Warner now.’ And now he’s a Farm Bureau Working Scholar at our complex, and we couldn’t do our job without him.”
Kayley Best, a former camper and current counselor, spoke highly of her experiences at Camp ROAR.
“At Camp ROAR you’re blessed with so many opportunities to see the ag industry that’s all around you,” she says. “You are able to ask questions, gain knowledge, and truly find yourself as an ag leader. I leave every camp feeling motivated, fulfilled, and overjoyed knowing that I, too, can make a difference in the ag industry.”
This year’s camp will take place June 7-10, and is open to current high school students, with a cost of $75 per student. Those interested in being part of this year’s Camp Roar can sign up at the website warner.edu/ag-event-camp-roar-2026/. Registration closes on May 15.
