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Athens County Farm Bureau Hosts Kids Agriculture Day
< < Back toFor 14 years, the Athens County Farm Bureau has hosted an educational agriculture day for area fourth graders. This year, nine elementary schools arrived—with canned goods in tow—to participate in the event, each visiting 18 stations set up by Alexander High School FFA, state organizations and community members.
Bureau coordinator Karin Bright says that through agricultural education, the event “gives kids an idea of what agriculture is and how it affects their lives.”
Ohio Division of Wildlife had several stations set up, including one aimed at educating the students about stream ecology. At another station, students from Morrison-Gordon Elementary laughed as they picked up worms from the piles of soil in front of them. Teresa Caldwell from the Athens Soil and Water Conservation set up two soil stations and demonstrated that actions like composting helps “build better soils to make better food.”
Bright said that the bureau used to charge $1 for each student that attended. This year they stopped charging, but have instead asked for a canned food item from each child that will to be donated to the Athens County Food Pantry.
Bright hopes the event inspires the students. “Agriculture impacts everyone, every day, in ways they don’t even think about.”
Check out photos from the event below.
Photos by Brooke Herbert Hayes