“How many of you have seen a tractor before?”
A few hands shoot up. Students eagerly wave to the presenters for their chance to share stories of the tractors mom and dad use at home.
But most hands stay down. Students quietly look up at the machines towering over them, wondering what they could possibly be used for; it must be for something big, right?
Big it is. Despite agriculture being one of that state’s largest industries, the disconnect between consumers and the farms that feed them has only grown.
A century ago nearly 25% of the U.S. population lived on a farm; today, it’s less than 2%. Starting with the youngest generation, Mecosta County Farm Bureau wants to close that gap.
At the county’s first Project RED, April 29 at the county fairgrounds, more than 180 local fourth-graders and teachers cycled through educational presentations about tractor safety, bees, manure composting, maple syrup, dairy cows and healthy eating habits.
According to Mecosta P&E Chair Beth Bordner, teachers shared their “genuine excitement” that the county was offering students the opportunity to learn about agriculture — directly from those who live and breathe it every day.
“Events like Project RED are important to educate students and teachers about local agriculture,” Bordner said, “and to start forming a connection with local farmers.”
To keep the connection close to home, Mecosta had help from local producers, tractor dealers and MSU Extension educators.
During the last track of the day, Mecosta County Farm Bureau member — and MSU Extension dairy educator — Cora Okkema taught students the importance of dairy cow nutrition and how farmers use ear tags to identify individual animals. Students got hands-on experience with the different feeds used, learned what nutrients are important for milk production and made their own “ear tags” to take home.
But the lessons didn’t stop when the buses returned for pick-up. After completing their day, teachers were given a pack of Ag Mags and a Farm Crate to use in future lessons at their school, according to Mecosta County Farm Bureau Administrative Manager Jennifer Marifo.
“We are hopeful this will create that direct line into classrooms and develop relationships with teachers,” Marifo said. “Our goal for next year is to have every school in the county attend.”
And if that’s the case, more students will have their hands raised when asked “How many of you have seen a tractor before?”
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