By Deloris Pittman
For over 25 years, fourth graders from the Saunders County and the Omaha area have learned about agriculture and its importance in their daily lives at the Saunders County Ag Literacy Festival. With continued growth in urban areas, many youth don’t have a connection with or the opportunity to visit a farm. This limited exposure to agriculture often means many aren't aware of the vital role ag plays in Nebraska and everyday life.
The Ag Literacy Festivals that focus on more predominantly urban areas of Nebraska are sponsored by the Agricultural Literacy Coalition of Nebraska. The festivals for the metro area include: Cass, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy and Saunders Counties. The coalition is led by Nebraska Extension. Extension organizes the festivals and partners with commodity groups, businesses and organizations for program content, presentations, and funding. This primarily urban-focused group of festivals includes: Saunders County, Cooper Farm, Gifford Farm, Lancaster County and Sarpy-Cass Festivals. Nebraska Extension Educator Cole Meador coordinates the Saunders County Festival and says the festivals provide an excellent way for students to learn about a wide range of agricultural concepts, from production to products, in a fun and interactive environment.
“This year’s festival focused on beef, ag careers, ag technology, poultry, dairy, corn and soybeans, swine, water, and 'on the farm,' " said Cole Meador, Nebraska Extension Educator.
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE
The festival provided students a unique and hands-on experience to learn about various aspects of farming and technology. Students had the opportunity to see dairy and beef cattle, poultry, tractors, technology, and crops up close, as well as take in some impressive modern-day technology.
Activities like the corn relay race not only added a fun element to the festival, but also helped students understand practical concepts, such as what a bushel of corn weighs and looks like. And in Nebraska, it was fitting to tie Husker football into the mix, learning an acre of soybeans is about the same size as a football field.
They also tried out technology that farmers and crop scouts utilize to determine plant health. Students were eager to use a handheld measuring device to find chlorophyll content of corn leaves. Taking part in making and watching an aquifer in a jar demonstration was instrumental in understanding where water comes for irrigating crops and the importance of protecting it.
Lively and interactive learning opportunities were intertwined in the presentations. Students sampled various ag products to make the connection of where food comes from. They participated in an ag careers game as a way to explore different career paths in agriculture. The festival provided a dynamic environment with immersive activities that made learning about ag fun.
CULTIVATING AWARENESS
By incorporating hands-on agriculture education into the festival, organizers aim to cultivate a realistic, positive awareness of agriculture and agricultural products. Students gain a deeper understanding of the benefits of agricultural products, recognizing them as not just healthy and nutritious, but also safe, convenient, versatile, consumer-friendly, and environmentally sustainable. This atmosphere of the festival is conducive for youth to engage directly with various aspects of the agricultural industry, fostering recognition of and appreciation of those involved in agriculture for the work involved.
TEACHER/INSTRUCTOR PERSPECTIVES
The festival is an annual field trip for many teachers as they feel it is a great fit for 4th grade Nebraska studies and teaches students about science and technology in agriculture. Students and teachers consistently give the festivals excellent reviews.
91% of the teachers responding to the post-event evaluation “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that their students learned more about agriculture and the food system as a result of attending the festival.
The 4-day Saunders County Festival is only one of the Ag Literacy Festivals conducted across Nebraska.
Over 6,070 second, third, fourth and fifth grade students from 153 schools attended a Nebraska Extension Ag Literacy Festival in March, April, May, September and October of 2023.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING = STUDENT IMPACT
Students attend the festivals were surprised to find out how much technology is involved in agriculture, how many products are made from ag byproducts, and the many tasks and costs involved for ag producers. They learned about the many steps it takes from agproduction to product, the people involved and also gained insights into how innovation continues to shape the future of agriculture.
Source : unl.edu