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 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. 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 28 students this year.  The Spencer County Board of Education provided buses for Taylorsville Elementary to get to the field at Spencer County Elementary for the event.  Spencer County 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 2024.  All the elementary age students enrolled in Spencer County Schools, grades kindergarten to fifth, participated in this event reaching around 1,500 students. Over 80 volunteers made the day a wonderful experience for all involved and 52 were youth volunteers.   

The participants in the event included: local 4-H youth participated with their swine, beef, dairy, and poultry projects, 4-H experiences, horses, US Army Corps of Engineers, nutrition, Kentucky Beef Council, and local goat family.  This year the local FCCLA Chapter had two booths, two local FFA students had booths, and a team of Master Gardner’s led two booths about plants.  In 2024 we were excited to expand the booths to 24 from 20, giving local youth more exposure to agriculture. 

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 4-H Youth Development Agent worked to get the booth participants, secured volunteers from the local FFA chapter to supply group leaders for the event, and coordinated the event with the schools. 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 the Careers in Agriculture booth.  This is a group effort by the staff of the Spencer County Extension Office!