- December 3, 2024
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Mary Anne Poulton, 9, loved Junior Ranchers summer camp so much last summer that she had to come back for more this year.
Every chance she had June 4, Poulton was either holding a chicken or petting a cow at Lakewood Ranch High.
Poulton said she loves animals and being in nature, so the camp is perfect for her.
She said learning about various bugs and how they can help the environment was particularly interesting to her. But the chickens were her favorite.
"I love the chickens because they're small and I get to pick them up," she said. "They're the size of my dog (a Yorkie named Zoey), and I love my dog."
Her time in Junior Ranchers has inspired her to participate in FFA when she goes to middle school and high school. She said she hopes to someday show an animal, possibly a pig, at the Manatee County Fair.
Ashley Crane, a rising Lakewood Ranch High School senior and camp counselor, shared her personal experience with the campers. She's shown pigs and cows at the Manatee County Fair and has chickens at home.
"It's cool to see their responses and how they interact with the animals," Crane said.