U.S. Agriculture and American farmers play a crucial role for providing food, fiber and natural resources for a fast growing world.  “Unlike prior generations, consumers of today are not as connected with the land, the food grown on the land or the food they consume on a daily basis (Ten Eyck, 2000).”  In an effort to educate youth on the importance of agriculture, Allen County 4-H and ANR Agents – Anna Meador and Adam Huber crafted, AG Academy, a three day program to explain agriculture’s impact on society, as well as highlight local and global production agriculture. 

The AG Academy Program consisted of one day focused on Intro to Agriculture and Local Farms, while days two and three included an immersive overnight field trip exploring production agriculture’s role in feeding our nation at Fair Oak Farms.  This program reached 15 youth and 6 adults who participated in both local and commercial components. 

During the first day of the program, youth toured local farms – Cherry Farms and Bennett Farms where they learned about beef, swine, dairy, lavender, produce and orchard production here in Allen County.  Youth enjoyed fresh Cherry Farm pork sandwiches for lunch, in addition to garden-fresh tomatoes and peaches from vine and tree for an afternoon snack.  The day ended with youth creating their own burgers during the Build a Burger Workshop using local beef and produce from Cherry and Bennett Farms. 

Day two and three of AG Academy, included an overnight trip to Fair Oaks Farms, Indiana to discover their Dairy, Swine and Crop Production educational tours.  Youth had the opportunity to compare local and commercial dairy and swine operations with those of Cherry Farms.  Fair Oaks Farms’ interactive exhibits and guided tours provided incredible learning opportunities highlighting innovative technologies role in Agriculture.    

AG Academy’s goals included: increase understanding of production agriculture, explore agriculture careers and increase consumer appreciation for agriculture.  As a result of AG Academy, 100% of youth indicated increased understanding of agriculture’s role on society.  40% of youth indicate an increased interest in agriculture careers and 100% indicated an increase of appreciation for agriculture as a consumer.  Other positive outcomes included many first experiences (overnight trip without parent, financial spending independence, etc.), increased desire to learn about agriculture and experience in food preparation.   After great response from this first program, Allen County plans to host their second AG Academy program in 2023.   

Cartmell, D., Holt, J. (2017).  “Consumer Perceptions of the U.S. Agriculture Industry before and after Watching the Film Food, Inc.”  Association for Communication Excellence.  Journal of Applied Communications, volume 97, issue 3, article 6.  Retrieved 15 September 2022 from: https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=jac