“I think the students, (particularly the urban students) have been awed by the experience of being outside of the city,” Alex Fink said. “And seeing all these miles and miles of farms and open space.”
Each year for the past nine, a group of young students from the University of Minnesota have taken an adventurous trip to southwest Minnesota to get a feel for rural living, exploring their personal histories and studying philosophy through direct experience.
The Philosophy Camp is a six-credit course offered by the U of M, which takes place at Shalom Hill Farm, which is located near Jeffers on Buffalo Ridge.
This year, returning student Fink led about half of the 26 students and staff on a field trip to Merryweather Gardens, located just north of Walnut Grove.
On the farm, the students learned about sustainable agriculture, soil health and alternative farming practices.
They also got their hands dirty using recycled building materials to construct a portable chicken tractor (or coop).
The program runs for four weeks, and the students live, eat and spend most of their time together learning and living as a community.
“Other than cooking and cleaning and living as a community of 26 individuals, we have a primary function of engaging in what is called a story circle," Fink said.
"It is based on the Scandinavian Folk School tradition, and the Highlander Folk School in Appalachia, which was part of the Civil Rights Movement and various labor movements."
The group meets together and a question is asked, such as, tell a story of a time you had to unlearn a habit, or tell a story of a time you had an adventure, or how you dealt with a death.
Each of the students then go in turn discussing their personal narrative.
"Other than that we pretty much have a lot of free time," Fink said. "It is kind of like a study abroad course, but for one month this is a big chunk of credit time, which is six."
Last year the Philosophy Camp was comprised of mainly students from metropolitan areas. This year Fink said that it is a mix of urban and rural students.
Fink helps the new students with how to live in the community, work on projects, get acclimated to the new surroundings and act as a leader.
"We like to go on trips like this," Fink said. "The connection to this place, (Merryweather Gardens) came from John Wallace (U of M professor who runs the Philosophy Camp).
We came out hear last year and had area farmers come in and talk about their operations and different types of agriculture. This year we are working on an actual project."
Fink actually interned last summer at Merryweather Gardens after visiting with the Philosophy Camp. He related those experiences to the other students this year and that is what brought them back.
The students are now finishing up their four-week course and will start working on final projects.
"The primary part of the course is not related to typical academic work, so the final projects kind of come as a way for students to reflect on the time they have had out here," Fink said. "It is really based on whatever is meaningful to them.
"Some students bring together kind of autobiographical books, videos, poems, skits, plays or song they have written and performed," Fink said.
"It is really just about being here and experiencing what this place has to offer."
engaging in what is called a story circle,” Fink said.
“It is based on the Scandinavian Folk School tradition, and the Highlander Folk School in Appalachia, which was part of the Civil Rights Movement and various labor movements.”
The group meets together and a question is asked, such as, tell a story of a time you had to unlearn a habit, or tell a story of a time you had an adventure, or how you dealt with a death.
Each of the students then go in turn discussing their personal narrative.
“Other than that we pretty much have a lot of free time,” Fink said. “It is kind of like a study abroad course, but for one month this is a big chunk of credit time, which is six.”
Last year the Philosophy Camp was comprised of mainly students from metropolitan areas. This year Fink said that it is a mix of urban and rural students.
Fink helps the new students with how to live in the community, work on projects, get acclimated to the new surroundings and act as a leader.
“We like to go on trips like this,” Fink said. “The connection to this place, (Merryweather Gardens) came from John Wallace (U of M professor who runs the Philosophy Camp).
We came out here last year and had area farmers come in and talk about their operations and different types of agriculture. This year we are working on an actual project.”
Fink actually interned last summer at Merryweather Gar-dens after visiting with the Philosophy Camp. He related those experiences to the other students this year and that is what brought them back.
The students are now finishing up their four-week course and will start working on final projects.
“The primary part of the course is not related to typical academic work, so the final projects kind of come as a way for students to reflect on the time they have had out here,” Fink said. “It is really based on whatever is meaningful to them.
“Some students bring together kind of autobiographical books, videos, poems, skits, plays or song they have written and performed,” Fink said.
“It is really just about being here and experiencing what this place has to offer.”
