Between 2007 and 2012, the Kentucky has had a 6.7% decrease in the number of acres of farmland, which was the greatest percentage decrease of any state in the U.S. during this time period (Census of Agriculture, 2012). While Kentucky’s population continues to increase, the number of people living on farms is decreasing. Therefore, the need exists to educate people, particularly youth, about the impact that agriculture makes on their daily lives, as well as the importance of agriculture to the Commonwealth. In 2014, Clark County 4-H was approached by a third grade teacher from the Clark County Public Schools to assist in hosting an Agriculture Day for their students. A parent had already volunteered their farm to host the event. The Clark County 4-H Program had been looking for an opportunity to host an Agriculture day for third graders and agreed to assist with this event. In 2014, the first Clark County 4-H Ag Day was held at Gilkison Farm.  In 2015, Gilkison Farms, and other community partners began hosting the annual Harvest to Hand farm to Table Dinner to fundraise agricultural education of youth with the largest focus to fund an annual Clark County Extension 4-H Ag Day.  With this added funding, Clark County Cooperative Extension was able to conduct the 4-H Agriculture Day for all third graders in the county.  

In 2019, seventeen classrooms (395 students) participated. Students rotated through nine, twenty to 35 minute stations with topics and displays that included livestock, dairy, poultry, bees, horticulture and crops. The stations were facilitated by representatives from Gilkison Farm, KY Soybean Association, Storm Run Farm, Clark County Extension Staff, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, University of Kentucky Poultry Specialist, Clark County Master Gardener Volunteers, and Southland Dairy Farmers.  Teachers were amazed by the amount of information and hands on experiences that were provided to their students and expressed how much the students and themselves had learned about Clark County agriculture. Several students expressed that it was their first time to be able to touch the different animals and all were very excited and attentive for each of the guest speakers.  Teachers stated numerous times that this was the best field trip of the year and multi-year participants said they learned something different every single year.  

Over the past five years over 2,000 youth have been introduced to agriculture in Clark County through their participation in the event.  At other events and programs of the Clark County Extension Service focused on youth such as Kids Day at the Winchester Clark County Farmers’ market, or Truth & Consequences, (focused on high school 9^th graders), participants of those programs and events that were previous Ag day participants have commented about how they learned about agriculture in Clark County years ago.  One 9^th grader stated “4-H Ag Day was her first time on a farm, and that she hadn’t been on a working farm again in 6 years”.  Another student commented that at the ag day they “had learned that chocolate milk doesn’t come from brown cows.”  A middle school student attending a farmers market event stated “I learned that the local farmers market, or buying from a local farmer was a way to purchase the freshest and most nutrition fruits and vegetables.”   In conclusion, the Clark County Cooperative Extension 4-H Ag Day introduces students to agriculture in Clark County, and makes a lasting impression upon our youth they are remembering years after attending this event!