The Mercer County Agriculture Advisory Council and Mercer County Farm Bureau Federation continues to place high priority on teaching children where their food comes from. Each year during National Ag Week, the Mercer County ANR agent works with Mercer County Farm Bureau Federation, Mercer County Schools and Burgin Schools to read accurate agriculture books (including the American Farm Bureau Book of the Year) to the elementary school and typically is accompanied by a hands on activity.  

This year it seemed as though we were not going to be able to reach those students due to school being closed from COVID-19. However, the ANR agent worked with the farm bureau board and they were able to post 7 videos of the anr agent, farm bureau agent and various board members reading accurate agriculture books.  This allowed increased dissemination of information.  This years American Farm Bureau Federation Book of the Year was Henry Ford Grows a Car.  The ANR agent utilized curriculum from KY Agriculture & Environment in the Classroom to put together 150 activity packets which included a living seed necklace (soybean seed), activity sheets about plant growth and soybean uses as well as instructions sheets for parents/guardians. Parents/guardians picked these activity kits up from the extension office. The ANR agent then produced an additional video explaining the living seed necklace and activity packet. Videos of the accurate agriculture book reading and activity kit were distributed through social media channels of Mercer County Extension, Mercer County Farm Bureau and The Harrodsburg Herald. This effort increased the number of people reached, allowed more accurate agriculture information to be distributed than would typically happen during National Ag Week efforts when each student would just hear one accurate ag book. This knowledge gained was reinforced by the activity packets which included the living seed necklace that allowed children to watch a soybean seed germinate and develop.