The problem

Children need to learn about agriculture to understand where their food comes from and appreciate the importance of farming in providing sustenance. It also helps them develop a deeper connection to the environment and learn about the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural industry, which is crucial for sustainable food production and environmental stewardship.

The educational program response

The youth of Spencer County not only learned about local agriculture but also safety. It is the goal of the Spencer County Cooperative Extension Office that Spencer County students will learn about agriculture to understand where their food comes from and appreciate the importance of farming in providing sustenance. All county agents and staff collaborated with the local school system to plan the event, including set up and tear down.

The participants/target audience

The Spencer County Cooperative Extension Service, along with school administration and staff from the two elementary schools, saw the need to continue Ag Day to teach youth about the importance of Kentucky agriculture. All the elementary-age students enrolled in Spencer County Schools, grades kindergarten to fifth, participated in this event reaching nearly 1,500 students with 70 plus volunteers assisting.

Other partners (if applicable)

Several community partners were sought out to make this event a reality. Spencer County FFA students served as hosts for each of the classrooms, with 23 students this year. The Spencer County Board of Education provided buses for Spencer County Elementary to get to the field at Taylorsville Elementary for the event. Taylorsville Elementary administration and staff, along with school volunteers assisted with various locations during the event, including the water stations and lunch. Spencer County Ag Day was another huge success in the fall of 2023. The participants in the event included: local 4-H youth who participated with their swine, beef, poultry, and ducks, opportunities through 4-H, horses, emus, the Soybean Board, US Army Corps of Engineers, nutrition, and Salt River Water Basin. This year the local FCCLA Chapter taught youth about making butter, the local FFA Chapter taught about floral design, and a team of Master Gardners led a booth about plants.  The 4-H Youth Development Agent worked to get the booth participants and secured volunteers from the local FFA chapter to supply group leaders for the event. The ANR Agent was the timekeeper for the event, which is very important to keep everyone on schedule. The FCS Agent manned a booth on nutrition. The all-programs assistant led one of the soybean booths. This is a group effort by the staff of the Spencer County Extension Office!