Helping kids know where their food really comes from can create some unique learning opportunities. Now, the Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom program is helping 12 groups around the state make those opportunities a reality.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation, through the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program, has awarded 12 matching grants totaling $5,173 to Wisconsin schools and organizations to use in agricultural literacy lessons and activities. There were 23 applicants this year.
Projects funded include:
Scream for Ice Cream - Brown County Dairy Promotions - $500
Brown County Dairy Promotion Committee provides agriculture, dairy promotion and nutrition education to elementary students in Brown County. The “Scream for Ice Cream” program is presented to second grade students in Brown County schools, taking students on a video tour of an ice cream factory, which educates them on the process of turning milk into ice cream, and getting it into grocery stores. Students then make their own ice cream.
AGRI-veristy at the Dane County Fair- Dane County UW Extension - $400
Over 300 youth and adults attended the 2009 AGRI-veristy learning stations at the Dane County Fair. Participants get a hands-on experience of the richness and variety of many valuable aspects of Wisconsin agriculture. AGRI-versity is designed to promote and celebrate Wisconsin’s rich agricultural history and heritage.
Agriculture Education Through Video- Green County Ag in the Classroom - $500
The Green County Ag in the Classroom committee will begin a video project this summer. They will be developing videos that help correct misconceptions about agriculture. The videos will develop a positive reflection of farming practices involved in producing food, fuel and fiber. They will be working together with local agriculture organizations and agriculture educators to develop videos that match education curriculum standards for middle and high school students as well as educating the public about common farming practices on all types of farms.
Greenwood Community Garden – Greenwood Elementary School - $500
Greenwood Elementary School first and fourth graders have spent the winter months planning a garden they will plant in May. Students, teachers and parents will plant the garden and maintain it through the summer months, and then donate the produce to the local food pantry and the local homeless shelter. This service learning project was designed to provide students an opportunity to develop a sense of purpose and compassion beyond themselves and to foster a greater love of learning and an understanding of where their food comes from.
The Super Soybean- Lafayette County Farm Bureau- $120
The Lafayette County Farm Bureau will develop a booth, “The Super Soybean”, held in conjunction with the Lafayette County Fair in July. Aimed at focusing on soybeans’ impact on our daily lives, it will feature what soybean seeds and plants look like, common soybean products, soybean production facts for Lafayette County, and how lip balm can be made from soybeans. Children will test their knowledge before and after visiting the booth and receive their own lip balm and a Wisconsin Fun Face agriculture tattoo. This fun and educational activity will allow children to understand the importance of soybeans.
Harvest Garden – Luck Schools - $500
The Luck School is planning its first Harvest Garden project. This project is being planned by parents, school staff and community members. The students in the elementary school will be learning about plants, nutrition and local agriculture in their classrooms. They will plant seeds that will be transplanted into the garden that will be maintained by volunteers throughout the summer. The harvested produce will be donated to the local food pantry and used in the school cafeteria for lunches. This will be a service project for the Luck students and a way the school can give back to a very supportive community.
Natural Agricultural Wonders – Milwaukee Public Schools- $500
Oak Ridge Farm, a 200 acre demonstration farm, owned by the Department of Natural Resources and facilitated by Milwaukee Public Schools, serves over 10,000 students annually. “Natural Agricultural Wonders” will create a curriculum that can offer four sustainable education units including: butter making, wool carding and dyeing, candle making, and bread making which will address various natural agricultural resources of dairy (cream), fiber (wool), wax (bees) and grains (flour). These units will provide a foundation for gaining awareness of agriculture, natural food products, and natural sources for usable materials.
Beyond the Barnyard- Sauk Prairie FFA Alumni- $500
The Sauk Prairie FFA Alumni goals are to increase student awareness of agricultural careers for all seventh grade students in the district through hands-on activities at career stations, increase middle school agriculture education enrollment, and to encourage agriculture professionals to make a connection with youth about the careers they work in. There will be over 200 seventh grade students attending the Agriculture Career Day at the Sauk Prairie FFA Alumni Park facility in September. Presenters will include Alice in Dairyland and a speaker from the agricultural lending industry who will highlight how students can “get into the green” by being involved in agriculture.
Classroom on the Farm- Sheboygan County Women’s Committee- $500
Sheboygan County Farm Bureau will host over 1,100 elementary students from Sheboygan, Kohler, Sheboygan Falls and Random Lake School Districts at a modern working farm on an annual basis. The tour consists of nine different stations to help the students learn about the milking, what cows experience every day, barns, veterinarians, machinery and nutritional foods that are connected to the dairy industry. Educational resources for the teachers include books, videos, lesson plans, posters and lesson plans that teachers can incorporate into their curriculum.
Wisconsin Whey! – Tiffany Creek Elementary School- $153
The fourth graders at Tiffany Creek Elementary School in Boyceville will be able to experience what it is like to become a bag of cheese curds. They will tour the Bartz Farm in Connersville and see how a dairy farmer collects the milk, feeds cows, and plants crops. They will see how milk is transported to a local cheese factory as they tour one in Spring Valley. Their final stop will be at Lammer’s Food Fest in Menomonie at the dairy department where they will get a behind the scenes look at how the dairy products are distributed to consumers.
Grow Together- A Community Garden Project- Whitehall School District - $500
Sunset Elementary students and staff in Whitehall are proud to bring a school garden to their district. The garden project will encompass all 233 of the first through fifth grade students, as well as high school agriculture students and FFA members. They have ambitious goals for both the students and garden. By involving all students, they hope to create positive habits and hobbies that will follow the students during school and as they grow and become adults. The plan is to include: early growth in the greenhouse, transplanting, summer school courses, school lunch additions, autumn harvest celebrations, and donations to local needy.
Ag on Wheels- Wood County Farm Bureau- $500
Wood County Farm Bureau has created a series of totes that focus on key commodities of Wisconsin agriculture, ranging from livestock, machinery, and fruits and vegetables. These totes will be available for schools, FFA, 4-H and other youth focused organizations. The totes will include lesson plans, worksheets, books and different projects that anyone can utilize.
