MSU Extension Tollgate Farm and Education Center

 2025 Summer Farm Camp at Tollgate  

MSU Tollgate Summer Farm Camp 2025

Summer Camp fun starts at Tollgate! Summer Farm Camp engages campers in all aspects of farm life including helping to care for goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and ponies, assisting in our fields where we grow a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, and preparing daily snacks in our Garden Kitchen. We also have classic camp activities such as tie-dye, fishing, and canoeing, and all the campers enjoy a wagon ride around the farm!  

Weeklong, hands-on projects in every camp focus on different science, technology, engineering, and math topics, and throughout the week campers have multiple opportunities to express their individual creativity through art. On Friday afternoons, caregivers are invited to attend our Camp Showcase where campers perform camp skits and show off their projects from the week! This summer, we are offering three different camp themes for two separate age groups. Please see descriptions below for special activities included in those themed camps. 

NEW THIS YEAR!  

• We have divided our themed camps into two separate age groups (entering grades 1-3 and entering grades 4-6). By doing this we will be able to offer more advanced activities to our older campers. Our Stewards Teen Leadership Program will also see some improvements this year for our campers entering grades 7-12. 

• Our Farm Sprouts program is evolving! While we have run a half-day camp in the past for our early learners, we have decided to rework the Farm Sprouts program into a year-round, monthly program that will give our early learners a chance to experience the seasonal wonders of the farm. We are still planning the program but expect it to launch soon! 

• We are sad to announce that due to staffing changes and some health concerns for our horses, we will not be hosting Horse Camp or Winged Wonders Camp this summer. They are both great programs and we plan to bring them back in 2026!  

Questions regarding Summer Farm Camp at Tollgate? Please contact Program Manager, Barbie Kellner: kellnerb@msu.edu 248-347-0269 ext. 227 

Summer Farm Camp Schedule 2025 

$395/Week 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

$60/Week 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM aftercare option

Animal Camp: Farmyard Friends (Entering grades 1-3) June 16-20 SOLD OUT, July 21-25, August 11-15 SOLD OUT 

Get in touch with your wild side and interact with all the animals here at Tollgate Farm! Fur, fluff, and feathers! Come to Tollgate to befriend some goofy goats, sheepish sheep, and conversating chickens and ducks. Life on a farm isn’t all about domestic animals though-- campers will also learn about the wonderful wild animals in the forest, pond, and sky! Spotlight activities include milking a goat, egg dissection, and a journey into the life of bugs. 

Animal Camp: Junior Farm Hand (Entering grades 4-6) June 16-20 SOLD OUT, July 21-25 SOLD OUT, August 11-15

Attention all animal lovers!  Our Junior Farm Hand campers will spend the week getting to know the ponies, goats, sheep, rabbits, ducks, and chickens here at Tollgate Farm. In addition to daily animal chores, we’ll experience specialized care including ultrasounds and hoof care. And because our animal obsessions reach beyond the farmyard, we’ll explore the identification and adaptations of wild animals that inhabit the Tollgate forests, fields, and water. 

Survival Camp: Experience the Wild (Entering grades 1-3) June 23-27 SOLD OUT, July 14-18, August 4-8 SOLD OUT

Go on a Tollgate adventure this summer with our hands-on survival camp! This survival-themed camp is for younger campers with a knack for exploration! Campers will spend a large part of their week at Tollgate out in the forest getting their hands dirty with their new camp friends while learning the basics of shelter and navigation. With the guidance of educational leaders, we’ll practice archery, learn how to identify some native birds, and go on a treasure hunt! 

Survival Camp:  Wilderness Warriors (Entering grades 4-6) June 23-27 SOLD OUT, July 14-18, August 4-8

Learn the steps of survival to conquer the wilderness! The greatest tools for survival are all around us-- we just have to know how to use them. Throughout this camp week, campers will learn how to thrive in an unforgiving environment by practicing wilderness first aid methods, identifying edible plants, and starting fires with minimal resources. Some highlights of the week are tracking wild animals, building shelters, and archery.  

Water Camp: Splish Splash (Entering grades 1-3) July 7-11, July 28- August 1, August 18-22 SOLD OUT

Let’s fish, canoe, and play with water together!  Water, water, everywhere! During this week, we’ll go on a water scavenger hunt around the fields, animal pens, and all over Tollgate Farm. How do farmers make sure their plants get all the water they need, but not too much? And the animals need water, too! We’ll also explore life in the pond and the wonderous vernal pools in the forest. If we’re lucky, we may even get a little rain.  We’ll end the week with some water play on our giant slip and slide! 

Water Camp:  Water Wonders (Entering grades 4-6) July 7-11, July 28-August 1, August 18-22

Explore the wonders of water! Campers will spend the week taking a “deep dive” into water science! Tollgate Pond will be the centerpiece of our investigations as we explore the wide variety of life found both inside the water and around the shore! See some aquatic friends up close with fishing and experience the joy of water recreation with canoeing. We’ll also be able to play in water by concluding the week with some fun on our giant slip and slide! 

Steward and Steward in Training Leadership Program (Entering grades 7-12)
The Steward and Steward-in-Training (SIT) Program is a progressive Tollgate youth development experience for teens entering grades 7-12th in the Fall 2025 school year who are interested in gaining experience working with campers in agriculture and the natural sciences.  To learn more about getting your teen engaged in the Stewards program, CLICK HERE!

SUMMER FARM CAMP REGISTRATION (Entering Grades 1-6 in Fall 2025)

STEWARDS-IN-TRAINING REGISTRATION (Entering Grades 7-9 in Fall 2025)STEWARDS REGISTRATION (Entering Grades 10-12 in Fall 2025)

Waitlist for Sold Out Camps

CANCELLATION POLICY: If cancellation is needed, please be prompt. Cancellations from June 1 through 2 weeks prior to your first day of camp result in a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds 14 or fewer days from first day of your camp week. For all cancellations made prior to June 1st full refunds minus a $25 processing fee will be refunded.