GFB News Magazine
Ag In The Classroom Update
Posted on May 19, 2022 12:00 AM
By Lauren Goble
Macon County Farm Bureau welcomed home-schooled students to its office on Ag Literacy Day and taught the students how to make compost bins. MCFB Women’s Committee member Marilyn McLendon, far left, led the hands-on activity.
Photo courtesy of MCFB
Rabun County Farm Bureau (RCFB) hosted an Ag Day for about100 preschoolers during Georgia Ag Week. The students learned about poultry, rabbits, plants, sheep and horses. RCFB Women’s Committee Chairman Stephanie Branch, the GFB Dist. 2 Women’s Leadership Committee representative, teaches students about sheep.
Photo courtesy of RCFB.
To celebrate farmers and the many contributions they make to our state, the Georgia Department of Agriculture declared March 21-25 as Georgia Ag Week. Each day had a special theme for participants to explore.
County Farm Bureaus and agricultural organizations held events in their local communities as schedules allowed throughout the month of March to raise awareness of agriculture.
Georgia Farm Bureau provided a video highlighting the theme for each day during Ag Week and supplementary classroom activities for teachers to download. Approximately 500 teachers, Farm Bureau staff and volunteers used these resources during Ag Week.
The first 200 elementary teachers who registered for Ag Week resources received a copy of the book “Tales of the Dairy Godmother: Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish,” donated by the Dairy Alliance and packets of zucchini seeds and flower seeds. Georgia Farm Bureau and the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture donated the zucchini seeds while the Georgia Department of Agriculture donated the pollinator flower seed packets. Teachers were encouraged to teach their students how to plant seeds or plant a school garden.
The “Hands-On Garden Day” video, March 21, featured a UGA Extension agent demonstrating how to plant zucchini seed and plants. https://gfb.ag/plantingzucchini.
For “Buy Georgia Grown Day,” March 22, the video featured a chef preparing a ranch dip to eat with zucchini sticks and discussing the vitamins zucchini provide. https://gfb.ag/ranchdip
The video for March 23, “Ag Hero Day,” introduced students to Brett Bennett, a Colquitt County zucchini farmer. https://gfb.ag/BrettBennett.
On “Ag Literacy Day,” March 24, Hancock County Library Manager Kathy Ransom read the 2022 American Farm Bureau Foundation Book of the Year, “How to Grow a Monster,” by Kiki Thorpe. https://gfb.ag/howtogrowamonster.
For “Make My Plate Georgia Grown Day,” March 25, the video featured a beekeeper discussing how pollinators are vital to growing Georgia fruit and vegetable crops. https://gfb.ag/beekeeper.
GFB Educational Program Coordinator Lauren Goble may be reached at ldgoble@gfbb.org or 478-474-0679, ext. 5135.