Henry County has a rich agriculture history; it is the largest single source of income and provides the greatest number of employees in the county.  Currently our county receives over $30,000,000.00 a year in agriculture revenues.  The average size of a Henry County farm is 148 acres.  It has come to the attention of the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service that the elementary aged youth are not aware of the importance agriculture plays in the history or the economy of Henry County.  As more farmers have hired employees from outside the region fewer youth have the opportunity for hands on experiences.

The Henry County 4-H Youth Ag Day was developed to allow all 4^th graders in the county to learn what animals and crops are produced to provide income for families in the county. The youth visited 15 stations that were led by 4-H’ers, FFA members, and adult volunteers.  The stations were: beef, goats, sheep, pigs, horse, rabbits, poultry, tobacco, corn, soybeans, forages, vegetables and fruit, water conservation, soil conservation, and ATV safety. At the end of each session youth had time to ask questions and they had a lot of questions for the presenters.

When asked by a show of hands how many youth lived on farm the number of youth was lower than in years past.  When asked how many had personally interacted with the animals that were represented the numbers were surprising low as well.  While most youth could identify a tobacco plant and corn stalk, most could not identify a soybean plant. The participants were all amazed by the many items that can be produced by corn and soybeans that are not edible.   The demonstrations on water and soil conservation were also eye-opening for the youth on how limited our natural resources are around the world. The overwhelming majority agreed that they learned that they were not properly dressed to ride on an ATV and had a better understanding of how they could protect themselves.

Henry County is proud of the role agriculture plays in the county. There are now over 200 youth that have been educated about its importance to our county and all of us who enjoy easy access to the food and items they produce.