Success StoryBooks in the Barnyard
Books in the Barnyard
Author: Linda McClanahan
Planning Unit: Mercer County CES
Major Program: Community Engagement
Plan of Work: Agriculture and Horticulture
Outcome: Initial Outcome
The Mercer County Public Library identified need to provide some agricultural programming for their clientele. The Mercer County ANR Agent partnered with the public library and Mercer County Farm Bureau Federation to develop the Books in the Barnyard program. The program was promoted through the Extension Office facebook page, Extension Office newsletters, MCPL Facebook and MCFBF facebook pages. The MCPL and MCFBF each provided 25 accurate agriculture books so the first 50 families that came to the event were able to receive one of these books. The ANR agent solicited farmers to bring animals for the event. In addition, collaboration was developed to include the horticulture, NEP and 4H areas at the Extension Office. Animals at the event included beef cattle, dairy cattle, chickens, horses, and sheep. At each of these stations the farmers were able to talk to the kids that came through all about the animals and how they raise them. We also had a poster from KY Agriculture and Environment in the Classroom at each of the animal stations explaining even more about the animals. In addition, our horticulture agent set up a station all about honey bee production and handed out bee coloring books and crayons. Our NEP program assistant provided samples of healthy recipes for the families to be able to taste and also handed out Kentucky Agriculture A-Z Coloring Books. Evaluations revealed that 86% of attendees learned something new and for almost 50% this was the first agricultural event they had ever attended. Around 156 people attended the event.
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