There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the light of wonder and understanding in someone’s eyes when they learn where their chicken nuggets or chips and salsa come from.  The Todd County 4-H Office partnered with the Youth Service Center to help 6th graders at Todd County Middle School understand more about where their food comes from by hosting the 4-H Agriculture Awareness Day during National Ag Month.  Todd County is a rural community, but only 21% of the 6th graders actually live on a farm, so for many, this program was an eye opener about agriculture.  Agriculture and farming in general have evolved into very prestigious and technological occupations that require countless hours, enormous expenses, and great risks. This day provided needed education in agriculture, ag technology and business.  

Local ag businesses, foresters, farmers, FFA students and the NRCS provided educational stations that the students rotated through. Students developed realizations about important agricultural and natural resource information including: forestry, egg production, farm to table foods, livestock, Kentucky soils and various grain crops in Kentucky.  

Evaluations were collected from 135 students and revealed the following:

91% gained an understanding of the role of agriculture in the production of food, fiber, and wood products; 

84% learned new facts about agriculture that they didn't know before; 

79% gained skills in agriculture today that will help them start or manage their own farm or agriculture enterprise one day.

The students were asked "What did this day help you realize about agriculture in Todd County and in our state?" They responded: "I learned that Kentucky ranks in the top 3 in forestry/lumber production and first in egg production in Kentucky"; "Agriculture is bigger here than other places"; "How crops help livestock to provide meat for us to eat" and that 'We only have a small amount of resources in Agriculture in our county - We need to protect it!"