****Parents, please do NOT send campers with nuts in their lunches. Tollgate is a nut free site! Thank you!!!****
Today we had a fantastic Friday!
Meet the green peppers.
They loved playing on the slip and slide!
Today campers went on a hay ride. What did they sit on? 
What is the difference between straw and hay?
On the ride, campers sang camp songs. Did your camper learn a new song this week?
The green and red peppers harvested sun flowers.
What animal ate most of the seeds? How do they eat the seeds when the flower is upside down?
They worked hard to pull out the seeds.
Look at this delicious snack!
The orange peppers planted sunflowers in a vacant flower bed.
The mud structures were tested today. The yellow peppers had meteorites, earthquakes, and tidal waves hit their structures.
The red peppers used diet coke and mentos to erupt volcanoes. 
They saw a physical reaction. The small pores in the mentos trapped the gas in the diet coke to make the foam. 
The chickens were interested in the teen helpers.
Campers watched the tractor dump compost into the pile. What did the tractor do to break up the vegetation in the compost bin?
In garden kitchen, campers made pumpkin pancakes. 
They topped the pancakes with Tollgate maple syrup. 
Here is the recipe:
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
¾ cup non-dairy milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
1/3 cup packed pumpkin puree
1 tbsp butter or melted coconut oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup whole-wheat or gluten free flour
Preheat electric griddle to medium heat (or about 350 degrees Fahrenheit) or a large skillet on medium to medium-low heat on the stovetop. Combine ¾ cup non-dairy milk and lemon juice in a large bowl and let rest for 5 minutes to curdle. Then add coconut oil, maple syrup, pumpkin, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Combine and mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices into a separate bowl and then add to the wet ingredients. If the batter appears too thin, add a bit more flour. If too thick, add a splash of non-dairy milk. Let batter rest for 5-10 minutes. Oil/spray your griddle and pour batter onto the griddle into about ¼ cup measurements. Flip when bubbles appear in the middle and the edges turn slightly dry. Cook 1-3 minutes more on the other side, then plate. Top with pure maple syrup, a dash more pumpkin pie spice, and any other ingredients you desire.
All of the pepper groups loved the slip and slide!
The teen helpers jumped in to race down the slide.
The campers really enjoyed the time playing in the water.
Horse campers had a busy day.
Meet the horse campers and helpers!
All of the groups collected fecal matter from different animals on the farm. This group collected horse matter.
This camper collected goat fecal matter.
Staff added solution to isolate potential bug eggs in the fecal matter.
The solution was strained and diluted to make microscope slides.
The campers looked under the microscope for parasite eggs in the fecal matter. Why is it important to check for parasites in our farm animals? Why is it important to know which parasite is present?
The horse campers practiced riding between cones and through rails off the lead lines today.
They practiced starting and stopping without assistance.
Campers finished their stick horses started earlier in the week.
The horses turned out great!
Here are additional photos from the entire week of camp:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qmvtOiHBlk09aAt73
Thank you for a fun week at Mud Camp!