Agriculture awareness and appreciation is always an important topic among farmers. An increasing percentage of the population does not have a direct connection to a farm, and they do not fully understand where their food comes from. Educating the public on the importance of farming is vital to preserving the future of agriculture.

The Monroe Co. Farm Bureau hosted an Ag Appreciation Day for youth. The students were transported to Triple K farms on school busses with their teachers. An introduction concerning the importance of production agriculture was given to the entire group by the host farmer, then a cow milking demonstration was presented to everyone. Each elementary teacher then rotated their class of students among the seven learning stations. The sessions were dairy, beef, poultry, bees, equipment, healthy foods, and drones.

All the 4^th graders enrolled in Monroe Co. schools were eligible to attend, and 124 enjoyed the farm field day on 8-30-23. The students loved being able to pet the livestock and play on the tractors, sprayer, and combine! The ANR agents from Monroe and Allen counties provided the drone demo, and the Monroe Co. Program Assistant demonstrated how to make Watermelon Salsa. The Monroe Co. School system provided transportation and a sack lunch for each child.

The students gained knowledge about the valuable contributions of agriculture to their lives. They obtained a greater awareness of what it takes to produce their food, fiber, and fuel. The students were educated on the importance of a fresh, plentiful, and safe food supply.