The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation’s Ag in the Classroom program has awarded 26 matching grants to schools and organizations to expand agricultural literacy. Totaling $11,964, the grants will fund activities that teach students about agriculture.
Groups, schools and organizations can apply for up to $500 to support their project, provided they had a source of matching funds. The 26 matching grant recipients are:
Outagamie County Farm Bureau and Dairy Promotion: Adventures in Dairyland – $500
The program will reach 1,725 fourth grade students in 27 schools. Topics include the history of cows, dairy product nutrition, careers in agriculture, knowledge of an operating dairy farm and the impact dairy has on Wisconsin and Outagamie County.
Sun Prairie High School Agricultural Education: Morel Spawning – $500
The agriculture department is developing a new life system with fungi. Activities include: preparing a habitat; maintaining it; composing a spore slurry; spreading it amongst the habitat and observing how the fungi are doing as well as collecting data and implementing changes.
D.C. Everest 4K and St. John Lutheran School: Young Farmers – $500
Funds will enable students to visit Majestic Farms and learn about plant growth and how to care for plants. They can purchase plants for the butterfly garden near the entrance of the school.
Roche a Cri School: Inquiry STEM Garden – $500
Roche a Cri School’s Inquiry STEM Garden will allow students to conduct research, solve problems and provide the school with nutritious snacks. The Inquiry Garden provides the environment and tools to research, apply, evaluate, plan and carry out self-prompted designs and ideas.
School District of Manawa: MES Garden Project – $500
Two active learning environments will be added to the elementary school. Little Wolf High School ag students and community volunteers will install a raised bed garden on the school grounds.
Merrimac Community Charter School: Barnyard and Indoor Gardens – $400
The Merrimac Community Charter School will expand the barnyard and continue gardening. Additional fencing and indoor garden supplies will allow students to expand the hands-on projects.
Mequon Nature Preserve, Inc.: Three Sisters Urban Ag Vegetable Garden – $500
Students will plan and plant a garden that will feature traditional and Three Sisters fruits and vegetables. In addition to planning, planting and tending the garden, students will learn about nutrition, composting, pollinators, soil types, erosion control, water harvesting systems, container planting and health.
River Ridge FFA: One STEM at a Time – $500
River Ridge Agriculture Department will develop three parts to the One STEM at a Time garden project. A pizza shaped garden will excite students about gardening and agriculture by showing them what is in a pizza; the compost bins will provide valuable fertilizer and earthworm habitat; and the garden library will be used to learn more about agriculture and how food is produced.
Luck School: Ann Goldbach Garden (Harvest Garden) – $500
Students will plant and nurture seeds and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Community volunteers will work the garden in the summer and the harvest will continue to benefit our food pantry and school.
Ashland FFA at Ashland High School: K-3 Fall Fest – A Celebration of the Harvest – $500
K-3 students will be engaged in activities that demonstrate conventional agricultural production and traditional American Indian hunting and gathering. Students will identify the connection between how people treat the land and water and the impact we have on the natural resources that are important to sustain people.
Randolph Cambria-Friesland FFA: Land Laboratory Food Bank Project – $250
The Randolph Cambria-Friesland FFA is expanding their Food Bank Project Students will assist in planting, growing and harvesting produce to donate to food banks in four communities and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America will can the produce so that donations to the food banks will continue in the fall.
Houlton Elementary School: Growing Healthy at Houlton – $500
Students will have hands-on experiences with gardening, which could be their first experience with plants and produce. Having the opportunity to eat what they have grown will increase engagement and commitment.
Stevens Point FFA: Science Extravaganza – $500
The Science Extravaganza program promotes the diversity of the agriculture industry and increases agricultural literacy to more than 600 community members and students. They will learn about traditional and non-traditional aspects through 65 stations.
Agriscience Program: Agriculture Education Summer Program – $500
The Mishicot agriculture program will expand its program to the elementary students by offering an agricultural summer school program to educate the students on food production.
Medford FFA Alumni: Bringing the Barn to School – $500
The Medford FFA alumni and agriculture department are fundraising to build a 36’ x 42’ educational agriculture facility. The barn will benefit the agriculture curriculum and build strong partnerships with community members and businesses.
Verona FFA: Day on the Farm – $334
The Verona FFA Chapter host an educational field trip for fourth grade students. They will be introduced to animals and will learn about life on a farm.
Janesville Parker FFA: Food for America – $230
The Janesville Parker and Craig FFAs will teach local four grade students about production agriculture. FFA members will teach how food is grown and then how it arrives at their tables.
Huey’s Hideaway Children’s Museum: Ag Exhibit – $500
Huey’s Hideaway children’s museum is working on an agriculture exhibit to promote awareness and education about agricultural trends and culture. The exhibit will include many interactive elements about dairy farming, crop farming and more.
Brillion FFA Chapter: Brillion Agriculture Outdoor Learning Lab – $500
Brillion Agricultural Department is developing an outdoor learning laboratory with raised garden beds, composting bin and a gravity fed watering system. This student led and developed initiative will provide the school district with local, student grown produce.
Laconia FFA: Laconia FFA Day on the Farm – $250
Nearly 400 elementary students in second, third or fourth grade are invited to visit a local farm. FFA members set up eight educational stations including: dairy cattle, sheep and goats, farm equipment, wildlife, maple syrup, feeds, horses, dairy products and a hayride.
Sheboygan County Women’s Committee: Classroom on the Farm – $500
Third and fourth grade students and teachers experience a Classroom on the Farm. Classroom on the Farm supports teacher efforts to enhance student knowledge of the Badger State’s agricultural industry.
Walworth County Fair Barnyard Adventure: Barnyard Adventure Learning Coop – $500
During the Fair, the Barnyard Adventure features the Learning Coop tent where guests are welcome to take part in a variety of scheduled topics including beekeeping, garden-to-table cooking, hydroponics, herb box planting and poultry.
New Richmond Agriscience Department: School District of New Richmond Veggie Garden – $500
A local business donated two and a half acres and the Agriscience Program will develop a garden. Students will be involved in planning, planting and harvesting. Community members will be able to purchase surplus produce at one of three farmer’s markets in the area.
Watertown Unified School District: Riverside Middle School Garden Outdoor Classroom and Pergola – $500
The Riverside Middle School Garden has won awards, hosted visitors and provides fresh produce for the lunch program. The group will add a pergola.
Taylor County Farm Bureau: AG Venture tent – $500
During the Taylor County Fair, the AG Venture tent will provide youth time to work with 4-H members on showing techniques in a mini showring inside the tent, leading a calf, work with a lamb and show a goat. The tent will also feature videos on different farming practices, a model cow that visitors can milk along with corn and soybean boxes.
Northland Lutheran High School: Bees’n for a Reason – $500
Northland Lutheran High School students will plant the first community garden on school grounds. The Ag in the Classroom grant will be used to purchase honey bees for pollination of the garden and offer an opportunity to study the function of bees in agriculture.
Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program provides teachers and 4K-12 students with an understanding of how their food is produced. The program seeks to work within existing curricula to provide basic information on our nation’s largest industry: agriculture. Wisconsin’s Ag in the Classroom program is carried out by a network of local educators, volunteers and representatives from agricultural organizations and businesses. The goal of the program is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role agriculture plays in the economy and society, so that they may become citizens who support wise agricultural policies.
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