Author: Kevin Lyons
Planning Unit: Monroe County CES
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Plan of Work: Unrelated to a specified County Plan of Work
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Agriculture awareness and appreciation is always an important topic among producers. An increasing percentage of the population does not have a connection to a farm, or how their food is produced. Educating the public on the importance of farming is vital to the future of production agriculture.
The Monroe Co. Farm Bureau hosted an Ag Appreciation Day for youth. The students were brought to a local farm on school busses with their teachers. A short introduction to the importance of farming was given to the entire group, then each class rotated among the seven learning stations. The sessions were dairy, beef, poultry, bees, equipment, drones, and sheep.
All of the 4th graders enrolled in Monroe Co. schools were eligible to attend, and 113 enjoyed the farm field day on 8-24-21. The students loved being able to pet the livestock, play on the tractors, and control the drone! The reporting Extension agent is also the 1st VP of the Monroe Co. Farm Bureau, and partnered with them to host the event, and taught the drone technology session. The Monroe Co. School system provided the transportation and a sack lunch for each child.
The students gained knowledge about the values of farmers and farming in their lives. They obtained a greater awareness of where their food, fiber, and fuel comes from. The students were educated on the importance of a fresh, plentiful, and safe food supply.
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