Hello campers and families!
Today we learned about pollinators at food camp. Why are pollinators important for growing food?
The blue peppers learned about how bees collect pollen on their legs and faces to bring back to the hive. As the bees travel from plant to plant, some of the pollen falls off of their bodies and pollinates the flowers. 
Arm bands with velcro represent the texture on the bee that collects pollen.
The campers picked up ping pong balls with velcro using their elbows because bees do not have thumbs.
Which hive had more pollen at the end of the game?
Here is a real pollinator in the garden! They observed these pollinators throughout the activity.
Campers had the opportunity to see pollinators in nature. These guide books helped campers determine the species of insects.
Do butterflies and bees collect pollen in the same way? Do bees, butterflies, and other insects use pollen for the same purpose?
What are other types of pollinators? Are birds ever pollinators?
A raccoon left footprints in the mud.
The campers found more footprints under the dock.
A common egret was spotted down at the pond as well. 
Campers enjoyed archery in the afternoon. They practiced their “T” stance for safe shooting.
The blue peppers memorized the steps to safe archery.
Campers started with the bow in their hand and the “T” position on the shooting line.
This camper nocked an arrow.
Then it’s time to draw the string back and anchor it.
And finally, release the string and arrow.
At the barn, campers participated in animal chores. The yellow peppers collected eggs from the chicken coup.
Then a couple campers volunteered to sweep out the old bedding.
The orange peppers love the goats!
During STEM time, campers made fliers for their farm stand products.
The yellow peppers made a commercial to share about their product:
Campers tried new foods in garden kitchen today. The morning snack was banana sushi.
The afternoon snack was fried rice balls. Campers dipped their hands in water before preparing the rice to keep it from sticking to their hands.
Then they formed balls with the rice.
Here are the recipes from today:
Morning: Banana Sushi
Banana
Sunflower seed butter (can substitute with any nut/seed butter you like)
Optional toppings: Seeds, shredded coconut, dried fruit, etc.
Peel the banana and spread on desired amount of sunflower seed butter. Sprinkle on optional toppings and press them lightly into the seed butter to ensure they will stick. Using a sharp knife, evenly slice banana into “sushi” pieces. Enjoy right away or transfer onto a baking sheet and freeze for later.
Afternoon: Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Balls)
Cooked Japanese rice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oil
Brown sugar and lime to taste
Form balls from cooked Japanese rice. Because the rice may be quite sticky after cooking, it can help to wet your hands with a bit of water to form the balls. Add the oil to a pan (a cast iron skillet works well) and cook the rice balls around until they form a crispy crust. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime in a small bowl and brush the mixture over the rice balls. Continue cooking until golden brown.
Here are additional photos from today:
https://goo.gl/photos/bigB6BRcAtwDxqvm7
See you tomorrow for another fun day!