Nebraska ag literacy festivals connect kids to ag
By Abigayle Warm and Deloris Pittman, ENREEC Marketing and Communications
| For over 25 years, fourth graders from the Saunders County and Omaha areas 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 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 County Festivals. Nebraska Extension Educator Cole Meador coordinates the Saunders County Festival and said 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 Meador. “Our goal with the ag festival is to connect these kids to agriculture. Each generation has become further removed from agriculture and where their food comes from, so we try and provide them with a hands-on learning experience.” HANDS ON EXPERIENCE The festival provided students a unique and hands-on experience to learn about various aspects of farming and technology. Students got 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 use 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 provided a visual understanding of where water comes from for irrigating crops and the importance of protecting it. Students sampled various ag products to make the connection to 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. “The lessons tied directly to our curriculum,” said Jody Carhart, Ackerman Elementary fourth grade teacher. “We love all the new activities implemented through the years. Parents have told us that the kids are transferring all their learning to daily life and sharing with them at home, as well!” 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 not just as healthy and nutritious, but also safe, convenient, versatile, consumer-friendly, and environmentally sustainable. The atmosphere of the festival allows youth to engage directly with various aspects of the agricultural industry, fostering recognition of and appreciation of those involved in agriculture and for the work involved. The festival is an annual field trip for many teachers as they feel it is a great fit for fourth grade Nebraska studies and teaches students about science and technology in agriculture. Students and teachers consistently give the festivals excellent reviews. “Most kids are just surprised to learn that everything in or on a burger comes from a farm. It’s important that they can make those connections from farm to fork. My goal is to help them make those connections between ag careers and their daily life,” said Brooke Tempel, Nebraska Farm Bureau educator “It’s really important for our group of city kids to get that country ‘feel,'” said Jayme Fauble, Blumfield Elementary School fourth grade teacher. “They don’t get to see livestock or see about all the ways we utilize agriculture here in Nebraska. This festival gives them a great hands-on learning experience and that’s why I’ve brought my class here for years.” FESTIVAL HISTORY The first fall festival was held in 1996 at UNL’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, Neb. — serving as a one-day pilot project for 200 Omaha Public School sixth graders. In recent years (initially to accommodate COVID restrictions), the festival moved to the Saunders County fairgrounds in Wahoo. This year 630 fourth grade students attended the four-day festival. More than 19,200 students have attended the Saunders County festival from 1996-2023. The four-Day Saunders County Festival is only one of the ag literacy festivals conducted across Nebraska. In 2023, over 6,070 second, third, fourth and fifth grade students from 153 schools attended Nebraska Extension Ag Literacy Festivals in March, April, May, September and October. Students attending 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 ag production to product, the people involved and also gained insights into how innovation continues to shape the future of agriculture. STUDENT RESPONSES I learned something new — 98% of the students indicated “yes” I can make healthy decisions about my food choice — 94% of the students indicated “yes” I know farmers make good choices to keep our food safe — 98% of the students indicated “yes” I better understand where our food comes from — 97% of the students indicated “yes” I will share with others about agriculture — 92% of the students indicated “yes” |
