Author: Michelle Simon
Planning Unit: Campbell County CES
Major Program: Beef
Plan of Work: Agriculture and Natural Resource Education - Agriculture Awareness
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Campbell County, Kentucky was once known for the numerous dairy cattle farms and rural living. In recent years, the economy has grown and so has the population causing the number of farms to decrease as they are developed into residential areas. One consequence of this growth and development is the number of citizens that reside in urban communities and are separated from the rural part of the county. This separation has led to a lack of understanding about agriculture and how important it is in so many ways on a daily basis. In response to this ever-increasing challenge, Campbell County Extension hosted the Grow it, Eat it, Wear it program for 5th grade students at the Alexandria Fairgrounds. The Agriculture and 4H agents collaborated with the Alexandria Fair board, the Campbell County Farm Bureau, FFA, the Campbell County Cattleman’s Association, Northern Kentucky Beekeepers Association and Northern Kentucky Horse Network and 4H Sheep and Goat Project Leaders who offered these classes: From Moo to You (dairy and beef cattle), Grow it and Wear it (sheep and goats), Horsepower, Pollinating with Bees, Apple a Day and What Came First, Chicken or the Egg. 572 youth and 94 adults from 12 Campbell County schools attended this educational program. The ANR Agent coordinated with the Campbell County Cattleman’s Association to bring a beef cow and calf and a dairy cow and calf so the students were able to touch and milk a cow. None of the students had seen a dairy cow before, much less milk one! The ANR agent also brought chicken eggs that were a variety of colors for the students to learn hands-on about the chicken breeds and different colored eggs they can lay. Additionally, the ANR agent taught the “From Moo to You” station with the Cattleman’s Association by coordinating a “Minute to Win it” game where the students had to sort food and everyday products into the appropriate bins (plant, dairy, beef). Only one student knew the difference between butter and margarine and that margarine was not a product made from milk. The students and teachers learned the byproducts that come from beef and dairy cattle, the lifecycle and science of ruminants. The participants didn’t just learn where their food comes from but also how many ways agriculture is connected to everything they do, every day. The Campbell County Cattleman’s Association leaders, trained by the ANR Agent in promotion and advocacy of agriculture, were skilled enough to teach these sessions without assistance and sparked wonderful conversations with the students about what a day in the life of a cattle farmer is like.
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