RAPID CITY, S.D. – Given the choice of just one summer camp to attend, it’s an easy choice for Sturgis Brown High School junior Ethan Mutter; the South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) Teen Leadership Camp.

SDFU Senior State Camp is an annual overnight summer camp for youth ages 13–18 , held this week at the Storm Mountain Center near Rapid City. It features team-building, agriculture career exploration, and cooperative education. Teens learn how to run a cooperative, and explore careers in agronomy, ag journalism, and food science.

The Junior Advisory Council organizes, facilitates and runs the camp. Elected by their peers or selected through an interview process during the 2025 Leadership Camp, these teens (like Ethan) spend a year planning and participating in team building and personal development trainings.

Ethan caught the agricultural bug from his grandparents who ranched near Hulett, WY. Now, his dream – after college – is to run his own ranching/farming operation. He says organizations like SDFU and SD Future Farmer’s of American (SDFFA) are putting him on the right path to achieve that goal.

For the past four years in Farmers Union and two in FFA, Ethan says his experiences help him help others – a key reason why  he wanted to serve as a Junior Advisory Council member.

Like most of the more than 1,000 youth who attend Farmers Union Summer Camps, Ethan looks forward to putting what he’s learned through South Dakota Farmer’s Union to work for other kids.

For more information on youth programs offered through South Dakota Farmers Union, go online to www.sdfu.org