Students learn where pizza comes from at Ag Day
Mar. 15—GREENTOWN — More than 50% of local elementary students think they could live without agriculture.
That was the result when the Howard County Purdue Extension Office asked students if they thought they could go a day without agriculture prior to Wednesday's Ag Day at the Howard County Fairgrounds.
"It was surprising the amount of kids who thought they could live without ag," said Mathias Ingle, educator with the Extension office. "We're out here trying to help educate kids they can't live without ag."
More than 300 elementary students learned a little more about where their food comes from Wednesday, thanks to the help of Purdue Extension and FFA students from Northwestern and Western high schools.
Students came from Eastern, Howard, Taylor and Sycamore elementary schools. Redeemer Lutheran School and Bona Vista sent kids in the afternoon.
The best way to teach the value of farming? Tie it all back to pizza.
Students moved between stations with many geared toward ingredients in pizza.
The livestock pens, featuring cows, goats and pigs were fan favorites.
Kerrigan Bartrum, secretary for Purdue Extension, quizzed the kids about where different pizza meats — bacon, sausage, pepperoni — come from and from what part of the animal.
Afterward, the kids were free to pet the animals.
Northwestern FFA member Taylor Schmitt gave students a lesson on tomatoes.
Several kids from Howard Elementary said their parents or grandparents grow tomatoes. Howard County produces the seventh most tomatoes in the state.
Students took turns putting tomatoes through a strainer.
They also got to grind wheat into flour while learning about the bread process. The average person eats 180 pounds of wheat per year.
Jerry Hartman, a farmer in western Howard County, taught kids about farm machinery using a Fendt 1050 tractor.
The tractor has front- and rear-dual row crop tires that are taller than most children. Safety is an important part of farming, and it was a point Hartman made sure to mention.
"As large as equipment has gotten today, you need to be careful," he said.
Hartman's favorite part is asking the kids, some who have no farming background, how much they think the tractor cost.
One student guessed $2,000. Another guessed $30,000.
Not even close.
The tractor costs about $700,000.
"Dang," one kid said. "That's expensive," said another.
Another station let students plant their own green bean in a plastic cup.
Add some dirt, the seed, a few drops of water and close the container and the bean will sprout.
Kids were free to take their containers home with instructions to plant in the ground sometime after Mother's Day.
Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.
