New Mexico State University will host the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp June 21-26 at the CS Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. The camp is open to all youth, ages 15-19, who want to learn more about ranch management.
Applications are now open, and the deadline is May 1. Applicants who are accepted will be notified by May 8. The camp will invite 30 participants, including three out-of-state applicants. The registration fee of $400 or payment arrangement is due on or before May 22. Scholarship opportunities will be available. Upon acceptance, participants should contact an NMYRMC committee member for additional information.
“We want participants to enjoy their experience,” said Sid Gordon, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service Otero County Extension ag agent and co-chair of NMYRMC. “We want to open their minds to opportunities they have in agriculture, and we would like them to go on to NMSU, but more importantly, we hope they come away with an interest in a possible career in agriculture or natural resources. We need young people to go into these fields.”
At the camp, high school-age students will be introduced to the many aspects of operating a ranch, from financial statements and marketing strategies to producing quality beef and managing natural resources and wildlife. Participants will receive college-level, hands-on curriculum to develop a ranch management plan for a scenario comparable to the host site.
“The collaboration between Extension specialists, county Extension agents and members of the ranching industry provides an opportunity for youth to learn about the many aspects of ranching,” Gordon said.
Established in 2011, this year marks the seventh time the camp will be held on the CS Cattle Company’s 130,000-acre ranch at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range.
To learn more or apply, visit https://nmyrm.nmsu.edu/index.html.