The Future of Agriculture

I don’t remember much about kindergarten outside of the naps and snacks, but one thing that I do remember to this day was learning how to grow a garden. We had a local farmer come into our classroom probably once a week to teach us the necessary skills to grow a garden. We had a small plot of land right outside of our classroom where we planted our seeds and studied them as they grew into vegetables. At the end, we made salads out of our home grown goodies and I remember at such a young age, the rewarding feeling of growing my own food. I had a great appreciation for farmers at just 5 years of age. In order to keep the agriculture industry alive and well, I think that introducing agriculture to our children is a must. A school in Gainesville, Georgia, USA recently held an “ag day” for all of their students to participate in.

“We had the idea to start Hall County Ag Day about five years ago,” said Billy Skaggs, Hall County cooperative extension coordinator and organizer of the event. “Groups started talking about the lack of knowledge about agriculture among young people. Most children are at least three generations removed from having a farm experience.”

Students were able to touch animals at a petting zoo, learn about pollution and soil conservation, try to rope a calf, watch the cow-milking process and look at large farming equipment.

“This is the future of agriculture right here,” Steve Brinson, president of the Hall County Cattle Association, said as his 3-year-old son roped a plastic cattle. “Someday they’ll be farming or making our food.” Source: gainesvilletimes.com – Students get hands-on experience with local agriculture

Look at this video of the ag day festivities.

What is your community doing to raise ag awareness among younger generations?

*Image via trailrides.homestead.com