The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation’s Ag in the Classroom program has awarded 15 matching grants to Wisconsin schools and organizations to expand agricultural literacy. The grants, totaling more than $7,100, fund activities that teach students about agriculture.
The 15 matching grant recipients are:
Marathon County Commodities Interactive Board – Partnership for Progressive Agriculture – $500
Visitors of the Wisconsin Valley Fair will be able to learn about the variety of agriculture commodities grown in Marathon County with help of the Commodities Interactive Board. The board will stimulate interest and educate children and adults.
Aeroponics – Sun Prairie High School Agriculture Education Department – $500
Students will learn how aeroponics systems work, grow different plants through a unique system, and compare aeroponics to different types of growing techniques like aquaponics, hydroponics and a conventional greenhouse. Students will be engaged in plant system technologies and understand how this technology can be used to grow more food with fewer resources.
Day on the Farm – Stevens Point FFA – $500
This activity will allow elementary students and teachers to tour a farm, where high school students will present on different ag topics. Hands-on activities and stations will engage elementary students in the importance of agriculture and its role in their everyday life.
Home Grown in Wisconsin – Story Book Kids – $500
Funding will be used to create a learning area to focus on Wisconsin crops like ginseng, cranberries and corn. The learning area will have three areas of interest including books about various crops, a hands on tub with different crops in them and a play area for agricultural toys for imaginative play in planning and harvesting crops.
F.E.D.S. (Farming Education and Demonstrations in Schools) – Wood County Land and Water Conservation Council – $500
This multi-county project will help students develop their understanding of agriculture. Resource professionals will bring factual, scientific and hands-on activities into schools to connect students to where their food comes from. Students will develop a better understanding of the day-to-day operations and processes that happen on farms to produce food.
Ag Venture Tent – Taylor County Farm Bureau – $500
Ag Venture Tent is full of information on the value of agriculture in Wisconsin and how it impacts everyone. Interactive games and questions will keep fairgoers on their toes.
FFA PALS Program – Janesville FFA PALS – $500
PALS (Partners in Active Learning Support) increases awareness and interest in agriculture and life sciences. A variety of topics are explored through hands-on activities and presentations by FFA members from Janesville Craig and Parker high schools and community members involved in agriculture. Students will also be introduced to the agriculture found on the island nation of Haiti and how it compares to Wisconsin.
2016 Cows on the Concourse – Cows on the Concourse – $500
An annual event to kick off June Dairy Month in Dane County, Cows on the Concourse is located just off of Madison’s Capitol Square. This free event for the whole family gives kids and adults the opportunity to get close to cows and calves, enjoy grilled cheese sandwiches and milk and learn from Wisconsin’s dairy farmers. Cows on the Concourse will be held on Saturday, June 4, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Incubation and Life Cycles – Two Rivers Public Schools – $406
Students will be motivated by using hands-on learning to hatch poultry eggs. The process of incubation incorporates holistic learning. Students will be exposed to rich vocabulary as well as incorporating learning material across all areas of the curriculum.
School Garden – Dodgeville School District – $400
Through grants and donations, students will learn the importance of farming in Wisconsin. Students will have a chance to raise and grow their own produce through a school garden project. The produce harvested by the project will be used as snacks in school and will also be incorporated into the school lunch program.
Stewards of the Earth Project – Eagle Christian School – $500
Students will gain knowledge and an appreciation of agriculture both through hands-on work in a new school garden and through exposure to local farms and farming practices. Students will explore where their food comes from and how it makes its way to their plate.
Barnyard Adventure Learning Coop – Walworth County Fair Barnyard Adventure – $500
The Walworth County Fair’s award-winning agriculture education program, Barnyard Adventure, will now include a new Learning Coop. This tent will offer a variety of topics including beekeeping, garden-to-table, hydroponics and poultry.
Soybean Science Kit – Portage County Farm Bureau – $500
Soybean Science Kits teach students about the many uses for soybeans. Through hands-on activities and lesson plans, students will learn more of the products that come from soybeans. Agriculturally-accurate books will be purchased for classrooms throughout Portage County
Discover Agriculture – Sauk County Ag in the Classroom – $500
With a team of 6-10 volunteers, the second grade Discover Agriculture Presentation series will reach more than 750 second grade students in Sauk County. Students will learn about agriculture through interactive classroom presentations.
2016 On-Farm Event – Chippewa Valley Farm-City Day -$350
Chippewa Valley Farm-City Day is an annual on-farm event which provides community members an opportunity to visit a local farm. The 2016 event at Alfalawn Farms in Menomonie will showcase a day for school students and community members to participate in a 5K walk/run and gain knowledge about local agriculture from hands-on projects.
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