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Agriculture Education Mission:
"To increase awareness within the general public that our
abundant, safe and inexpensive food
and fiber supply is provided by
America's farmers."
Click a headline, click back to
return
Request an Ag Education program for your
county:
Ag Education Program Request Forms
Ag Education Videos Available for Check-Out
Click
here to view the
Ag Education videos available for check-out.
Click here
to send an e-mail to request a video.
(Requests must come from a
county Farm Bureau. Videos will be shipped to the county Farm
Bureau and may kept for up to two weeks.)
National Ag Day
National Ag Day was celebrated March 15 during
National Ag Week (March 13-19, 2011).
National Ag Day, sponsored by the Agriculture Council
of America, is promoted through awareness efforts in communities across
America. Ag Day is about recognizing and celebrating the contribution of
agriculture in our everyday lives. The program encourages Americans to learn
more about how food and fiber products are produced, value the essential
role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy and to appreciate the
role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.
Visit the
Ag Day website
for event ideas, promotional materials, interactive media (web banners,
logos, etc.), videos and fun facts about food. You may also register for
national Ag Day events in Washington, D.C., online. A publicity guide that
includes a sample press release and public service announcement scripts also
is available
here.
America's Heartland
A new educational component for America's
Heartland, the weekly public television series that profiles the
people, places and products of U.S. agriculture, is now available
online. A series of 42 student study guides with answer keys for
teachers have been developed to accompany 42 segments from season one of
the program.
The field-tested lessons focus on career
exploration and are targeted to secondary-and collegiate-age students.
They are ideal for use by classroom teachers to enhance instruction in a
range of subject areas. Students also may use the study guides on
their own. Subject categories for study guides and lessons include
career profiles, food science, agri-tourism, animals, aquaculture,
environmental stewardship, fruits, vegetables, specialty products and
technology.
Later this spring, additional materials will be introduced for younger
and older students. Subject areas will include the environment,
history, geography, food science, trade and much more. Educational
materials are available free of charge online
here.
Do-It-Yourself programs for motivated volunteers
New
& Improved "DIY" Programs
An addition has been made to the Do-It-Yourself Agricultural
Education Programs. Kansas assessed academic standards have been
added to most of the programs. The standards correlate to the
programs subject matter and the projected audiences' age. The
Agricultural Education Programs (listed below) standards are assessed
standards. This addition should be beneficial to teachers and
presenters who are facilitating the many different programs.
Addressing
Misconceptions About Agriculture
Agriculture: Get in the
Game!
Agriculture Gets into Your
DNA
Agriculture's Environmental
Success Story: Growing More with Less
Bean Team
 Benefit Silent Auction
Breaking Down Bread
Capitol Experience
Cleo Cotton's Big Adventure
Connect
the Dots - Where Does my Food Come From? D-I-Y Program
(Uses resources provided by the Cattlemen's Beef Board)
Did You Know We
Grow Cheeseburgers in Kansas?
Did You Know We Grow Pizza
in Kansas?
Farming Is More Than
Food
Food
Check-Out Week Consumer Ag Education Stations
Growing a Nation
KFB's
Ag Literacy Day
Kansas Stone Soup
Make it Magnetic
Slice of Soil
Ten Things Kids Want to Know
About Farming
The Farmer Grows a
Rainbow
Where Does My Food Come From?
Kailey's
Ag Adventure "DIY" Series Lesson Plans
Ag Adventure
Series Resources
(items
with little
or no cost)
Farm
to Fridge: Milk Comes From A Cow? Lesson Plan for Grades K-2
Milk (and Ice Cream) Comes From A Cow?
Lesson
Plan
for Pre-K - Grade 3
(Many Kinds of) Milk Comes From A Cow?
Lesson
Plan
for Grades 2 & 3
Milk
Fun Facts Sheet
Layers
of Soil Lesson Plan for Pre-K - Grade 2
Texturing Soil
Lesson Plan for Pre-K - Grade 2
The Soil Race Lesson Plan for Pre-K
- Grade 2
Soil Fun Facts Sheet
The Big World of Animal Agriculture:
CAREERS
Lesson Plan for
K - Grade 3
The Big World of Animal Agriculture:
PRODUCTS Lesson Plan for
K - Grade 3
Where
is Animal Agriculture in Your World?
(choose save when opening
to view as a PowerPoint; click open to view as a webpage)
Animals
from Farm to You /
Animals and the Products They Give You
Thank Farmers and Ranchers for Healthy Food!
Lesson Plan for Pre-K - Grade 2
Caring for an Animal's Needs
Lesson Plan for Pre-K - Grade 2
Farm Animal
Circle of Care
Lesson Plan for Pre-K - Grade 2
Farm Animal Care Fun Facts Sheet
Beyond
Bread
Lesson Plan for Grades 1 - 3
I Work with Wheat
Lesson Plan for
Grades 1 & 2
Pizza, Pizza, Pizza Lesson Plan for
Grades 1 & 2
Pizza, Pizza, Pizza Power Point
(choose save when opening to
view as a PowerPoint; click open to view as
a webpage)
The Battle of the Breads
Lesson Plan for Pre K - Grade 4
Wheat
Fun Facts Sheet
Day
One - Growing Up With Grains!
Lesson Plan for Grades 2 and
3
Day
Two - Valuable Nutrition From
Vegetables Lesson Plan for
Grades 2 and 3
Day
Three - Feeding a Healthy Mind and
Body with Fruits! Lesson
Plan for Grades 2 and 3
Day
Four - Daily Doses of Dairy
Lesson Plan for Grades 2 and 3
Day
Five - Planning a Healthy Life with
Proteins!
Lesson Plan for Grades 2 and 3
Fun
Fact Guide to Nutrition
Be Ag-Wise Professional Development Workshops
Be Ag-Wise workshops are designed especially for
agriculture education presenters at the county level. Attending a
session will give participants the opportunity to receive training for a
variety of agriculture-based, hands-on learning labs; receive resource
materials; share ideas; network with others and practice
their presentation skills.
2012
Be Ag-Wise: Ag Counts! Math + Agriculture = Hands-on learning
Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) and
Kansas
Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (KFAC) will host the
fifth annual Be Ag-Wise training workshop in five Kansas communities.
The theme for 2012 is "Ag Counts! Math + Agriculture = Hands-on
Learning." Dates and locations are: Emporia - January 14; Manhattan - January 21;
Colby - February 25, Garden City - March 3 and Wichita - March 10.
Participants will have the opportunity to
receive training for a variety of Ag-based hands-on learning labs,
receive several resource materials, share ideas that work and network
with others.
Click
here to
access the 2012 Be Ag-Wise Agenda.
Click
here to
access the 2012 Be Ag-Wise registration form.
2011
Be Ag-Wise
The
theme for 2011 was "Farmers
& Ranchers CARE:
Care and Respect Everyday"
and focused on animal welfare and protecting the environment.
The Big World of Animal Agriculture:
CAREERS
The Big World of Animal Agriculture:
PRODUCTS
Where is Animal Agriculture in Your World?
(choose save when opening
to view as a PowerPoint; click open to view as a webpage)
Animals
from Farm to You /
Animals and the Products They Give You
Farm Animal Circle of Care
K-W-L
Chart
Connect
the Dots - Where Does my Food Come From? D-I-Y Program
(Uses resources provided by the Cattlemen's Beef Board)
Caretakers
ALL Lesson Plan
Pictures
from the 2011 training sessions (click on a photo to enlarge it)
2010 Be Ag-Wise
In 2010, the theme "The
Farmer Grows a Rainbow"
was based on the classroom kit (produced by
North
Carolina Agriculture in the Classroom) that focused on the link between
agriculture and the MyPyramid nutritional resource. The
lessons in the kit contain great interactive pieces that make learning
fun and the topics of nutrition and exercise are welcomed by schools.
Our goal was to make sure youth understand that the "rainbow" of
abundant, safe food they enjoy comes from farmers.
During the workshops, participants received resource materials on the
topic, lunch and refreshments. For an additional registration fee,
participants also received the official "The
Farmer Grows a Rainbow"
kit, which included color copies of activities, classroom supplies and a
large magnetic
MyPyramid.
Select
handouts from the sessions are linked below. All remaining
handouts are available from an official "The
Farmer Grows a Rainbow" kit.
Kansas Stone Soup DIY Program
Food Group Supplemental Fact Sheets
Fruit
Grains
Meat & Beans
Milk
Vegetables
2009 Be Ag Wise
The following lessons are from the 2009 Be Ag Wise Professional
Development Workshop sponsored by Kansas Farm Bureau and the
Kansas
Foundation for Ag in the Classroom.
The theme was Natural Resources and the lessons included:
Water Related Lesson Plans
Be a Watershed: Create a Living River
Exploration Watershed
Kansas Ponds, Lakes and Reservoirs
There's a Watershed in My Backyard
Piece Like a River
What in the World is a Watershed?
Prairie Related Lesson Plans
Additional Prairie Resources and Extensions
Kansas Prairies Vocabulary
Prairie Food Chains and Food Webs
Prairie Tic Tac Toe
The
Coyote Population
The Prairie
Is
What's it all About?
2008 Be
Ag Wise
The following lessons are from the 2008 Be Ag Wise Professional
Development Workshop sponsored by Kansas Farm Bureau and the
Kansas
Foundation for Ag in the Classroom.
Cottage Cheese-Making
Edible Soil Profile
The Secret Life of a French Fry
My Farm Web
Salsa Gardening
Source Search
Slice of Agriculture - A Community-Based
Youth Education Project
This program is designed to be organized and implemented by a local planning
board made up of representatives from cooperating agencies and other interested
individuals. This may include local farmers, school district curriculum
coordinator, K-State Research and Extension agents, teachers, county Farm Bureau
members, 4-H and FFA members, soil conservation districts, local businesses and
various producer and commodity associations. Leadership responsibilities
will be shared rather than assumed by a single individual or agency.
Having local leaders involved in planning and delivery means Slice of
Agriculture programs are customized for each community.
To learn more about the foundational elements of
this program and its unique benefits to the school, community and agricultural
producers and organizations, contact Jana Beckman at the Kansas Center for
Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops at 785/532-1440 or e-mail her at
beckman@ksu.edu.
What's Growing in Kansas? A Seven Part Series on Kansas Ag
Part 1 -
How Does Agriculture Affect You?
Part 2 -
Our Main Grain Wheat
Part 3 -
Our Other Cash Products
Part 4 -
Leading the Herd
Part 5 -
Pig Business is Big
Business
Part 6 -
Agriculture's Vital Resources: Soil and Water
Part 7 -
Renewable Fuels
Outside Sources for Agriculture Education
Organizations: Click
here to be
added to the list
Classroom Project Ideas:
A Slice of Soil
Bread in a Bag & Butter in a Jar
"Circles of the Earth" Bracelet
Classroom Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
Let's Make Ice Cream
Seed Packet Project --- Seed Cards
2012
National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference
Join us June 19-22 in Loveland, Colorado for the
2012 National Agriculture in
the Classroom Conference
which will feature engaging, interactive
workshops that show educators how to incorporate real-life agricultural
applications into their language arts, math, nutrition, science and social
studies lessons. Professional development points and
college credit are available for attendees.
Click
here to learn more about this conference. Additional
information will be posted as it is received.
Food
Check-Out Week
|
Alternative Proteins
|
Dairy |
Produce |
Protein |
Whole Grains |
Food Check-Out Week consumer ag
education stations:
Order
promotional materials directly from the
American Farm
Bureau to plan your Food Check-Out events today!
Available materials include:
-
Food Check-Out Week Supermarket
Kit
-
Nutrition Fact Cards
-
Recipe Cards (meats, produce,
grains, protein and alternative proteins)
-
Reusable Shopping Bags
-
Announcement Posters, Stickers
and more!
The History of Food Check-Out
Week
Mid-1990s
Establishing a day for food similar to “Tax Freedom Day,” which would also
honor the contributions of farmers and ranchers, was discussed at a
strategic planning session of the South Carolina Farm Bureau. Betty DeWitt,
chair of the SCFB Women’s Committee and dairy farmer Hugh Weathers (now
South Carolina’s agriculture commissioner) were the initial champions of the
idea. DeWitt brought the idea to the AFB Women’s Committee for
consideration.
1997
Linda Reinhardt, AFB Women’s Committee chair, made initial contacts and
worked tirelessly to establish the Farm Bureau – Ronald McDonald House
connection that continues to this day. The Kansas Farm Bureau Women’s
Committee donated $1,500 to five Ronald McDonald Houses in the state. In
addition, several county Farm Bureau Women’s Committees in Indiana held Food
Check-Out Day events.
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Food Check-Out Day, 1998. To the left of
Ronald McDonald is Linda Reinhardt of Kansas, AFB Women’s Committee
chair. |
1998
First national Food Check-Out Day event held in Chicago. Case Corporation
(now Case IH) provided a tractor to pull groceries donated by the AFB
Women’s Committee down the streets of Chicago to the doorstep of the Ronald
McDonald House.
Farm Bureaus from around the
country celebrated the event in its first year of organized effort.
In a report on the new
initiative, AFB Women’s Committee Chair Linda Reinhardt noted, “This program
has grown in just one year’s time to become a great addition to promoting
the voice of agriculture.”
1999
National event in Phoenix.
2000
National event in Nashville.
2001
National event in Philadelphia. Despite a heavy snowstorm in the region, a
successful event was held at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. The
Philly house was the first one in the nation, opened in 1974.
2002
National event in Las Vegas.
2003
National event in New Orleans.
2004
National event in Jacksonville, Florida.
2005
National event in Los Angeles.
2006
Food Check-Out Day became Food Check-Out Week, to provide more
flexibility for Farm Bureaus to schedule activities and events.
National events in Washington,
D.C., at the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Washington, and the U.S.
Agriculture Department, where then-Secretary Mike Johanns signed a
proclamation recognizing Food Check-Out Week.
Case IH, which had been a
sponsor of Food Check-Out events since 1998, donated a pedal tractor and
farm toys for the children at the house.
2007
National events in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Food and monetary
donations were made to the Ronald McDonald House of Baltimore. Committee
members also held a reception on Capitol Hill for their members of Congress.
Case IH donated a pedal tractor
and farm toys for the children at the house.
For the first time, books about
agriculture were donated to the house by the American Farm Bureau Foundation
for Agriculture.
Through 2007, state and county
Farm Bureaus had donated more than $2.3 million in monetary and food
donations to Ronald McDonald Houses and other charities.
2008
National event at Ronald McDonald House of Columbia, S.C.
Betty DeWitt, former chair of
the SCFB Women’s Committee and member of the AFB Women’s Leadership
Committee, and Hugh Weathers, South Carolina’s commissioner of agriculture,
were honored for originating the idea of Food Check-Out Day in the 1990s.
DeWitt credited the success of the long-running program to the collective
efforts of many people, but particularly Linda Reinhardt of Kansas (former
chair of the AFB Women’s Committee), for establishing the Farm Bureau –
Ronald McDonald House connection.
Case IH donated a pedal tractor
and farm toys for the children staying at the house.
Foundation Grants
For more information about the KFB Foundations click
here.
Introduction to
Writing Grants
How to Write a KFB
Foundation for Agriculture Grant Application
Excellence in
Teaching Grants
Glossary of Kansas Agriculture
White-Reinhardt
Mini-grants and Teacher Scholarships
Agricultural Education Mini-Grants
The Mini-Grant Program funds projects that
will increase agricultural literacy. County and state Farm Bureaus may
apply for grants of up to $500 for classroom education programs for
grades K-12 to initiate new programs or expand existing programs to
additional grade levels or new subject areas. Grants are available on a
competitive basis.
Distributed through county and state Farm Bureaus, the grants are used
to fund new projects or extend existing agricultural education efforts.
Click
here
for a 2012 grant application.
• Mini-grant applications must be completed and submitted to the
state Agriculture in the Classroom coordinator (Attn: Holly Higgins,
Kansas Farm Bureau, 2627 KFB Plaza, Manhattan KS 66503-8155) for
signature by October 21, 2011.
• Applications to the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
must be postmarked by
November 1, 2011, for projects that are to be completed by November
15, 2012.
• Recipients of the grants will be announced by early March 2012.
The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a project of the AFB
Foundation for Agriculture in cooperation with the AFB Women's
Leadership Committee. The fund honors two former committee
chairwomen, Berta White and former chair of the Kansas Farm Bureau
Women's Committee, Linda Reinhardt, who were leaders in early national
efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve
agricultural literacy.
2011 Mini-Grants Awarded to
State and County Farm Bureaus:
Ada County, Idaho: Traveling
Man Who Fed the World
classroom set and
curriculum.
Alaska Ag in the Classroom:
Portable white board system
to write and review
high-tech lessons on ag
literacy.
Arizona Farm Bureau:
Creation of a “petting zoo”
with animal-sized cutouts
and facts.
Brown County AITC, Wis.: Red
Barn Learning Center kits
for elementary grade
students.
Calhoun County Farm Bureau,
Ill.: Spring planting/fall
harvesting program to show
the growth cycle of corn and
soybeans.
Calhoun County Farm Bureau,
Mich.: Accurate Ag resource
kits.
Gratiot County Farm Bureau,
Mich.: Grow a pizza
project—students grow their
own plants.
Hiawathaland County Farm
Bureau, Mich.: Incubators
for hatching demonstrations
and a lending library.
Huron County, Mich.:
Placement of Ag Quest
packets in schools.
Indiana Farm Bureau:
Traveling flip cameras for
filming farming operations,
ag days and school
demonstrations to share with
students.
Isabella County Farm Bureau,
Mich.: Portable greenhouses
and gardening books.
Jackson County Farm Bureau,
Wis.: Ag activity kits on
apples, bees, cranberries,
corn, soybeans, dairy,
sunflowers, forestry and
nutrition.
Kendall County Farm Bureau,
Ill.: Professional display
board on careers in
agriculture, technology and
food science.
Lincoln County Farm Bureau,
W.Va.: Lincoln Learning
Garden to increase student
knowledge of where food
comes from.
Manitowoc County Farm
Bureau, Wis.: Traveling ag
presentation and materials
kit.
Marion County Farm Bureau,
Fla.: Ag-Ventures event
education stations and
“make-and-takes.”
McHenry County Farm Bureau,
Ill.: Seasons of Change
displays with facts on food,
fiber and fuel.
Michigan Farm Bureau:
Captain Food Fabulous
series: Exploring the
Wonders of Michigan’s
Natural Resources.
Missaukee County Farm
Bureau, Mich.: Traveling
book barn library.
Monroe County Farm Bureau,
Ill.: Accurate Ag book
library and Ag Mag prizes
for schools at National Ag
Week events.
North Dakota Farm Bureau: Ag
Day at 30 local libraries
with book reading and
hands-on activities.
Rock Island Farm Bureau,
Ill.: Horticulture outreach
program.
Russell County Farm Bureau,
Va.: Hands-on What’s Growing
in Virginia? activities and
From Cow to Carton program.
Shelby County Farm Bureau,
Ohio: Watching the Seeds
Grow school garden project.
Virginia Foundation for Ag
in the Classroom: Donation
of Ready, Set, Grow! books
to 200 Classrooms.
Wexford County Farm Bureau,
Mich.: Traveling book barn
library.
Windham County Farm Bureau,
Conn.: Planting a pizza
garden project.
Wisconsin Farm Bureau: The
Agriculture – Bringing Music
to our Lives project takes
ag-related songs and
incorporates them into
lessons.
Ag Education/Leadership Brochures
Ag Education
A Day in
the Life of Agriculture
ABC's of
Kansas Agriculture color book
Did You Know We
Grow Cheeseburgers in Kansas?
Did You Know We Grow
Pizza in Kansas?
Help the Cow Find Her Way Back to the Farm
How
Many Hazards Can You Find?
Kailey's
Activity & Coloring Book
Moving to the Country?
Things You Should Know
One Day on the Farm: A Fire Safety Story
Seed Cards
There is no
Such Thing as a Vegan
Caring for Farm Animals
Pamphlet cover
- Pamphlet inside
Current Food Price Information
Farm Expenses
Up: Share of Food Dollar Unchanged
Fuel,
Transportation and Energy Drive Retail Food Prices
Ethanol
Benefits the Environment
Ethanol Saves
Consumers $50 Billion
Most of Retail Food Dollar Not Going to Farmers
Talking Points
Leadership
Making
Introductions
---
Teach Your Butterflies to Fly in
Formation
Respect the Flag
More Agriculture Education Resources
Ag
Day
AFBF Ag Education
America's
Lasting Heritage
Animal Ag
Alliance
Atlas
of Rural and Small-town America
FFA Learning Center
Food
Inc. Response by American AgriWomen
I
Love Farmers...They Feed My Soul
Kansas
Department of Agriculture
Kansas
Farm Facts 2010 (provided by
the US Department of Ag in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Ag)
Kansas
Family Partnership, Inc (Kansas Family Day)
Kansas
Farm Bureau's Top 10 Ag Ed Book List (.pdf)
Kansas
Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Kansas State Research & Extension
My American Farm
National Ag Week
National Farm-City
Council
(Farm-City Week info)
Using Media
Baskets to Spread the Farm-City Week Message
(.pdf)
Plenty
to Think About
Real
Farmers, Real Food
State
Agricultural Fun Facts
The Real Dirt on Farming II
True
Environmentalists
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics
Service
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