a collection of letters and drawings from 2nd graders

PUBLICATION TEAM

Senior Editor:F. Dean Miner, Jr.

Production:Kathy WildeTrish Cutler

Editors:Donna FalkenborgJulene Reese

Graphic Design:Danielle Allen

BACkGrOUND INfOrMATION page 3

SHEEP DOGS page 4

SHEEP SHEArING page 8

ffA page 12

BEEf page 16

SAfETY page 20

HAND WASHING page 24

NUTrITION page 30

MINk page 38

TErrY TOMATO page 42

frUIT GrOWErS page 46

WHEAT AND LIVING NECkLACES page 50

DAIrY fArMErS page 56

BEES page 60

ANIMAL PArk page 68

POrk PrODUCErS page 74

POULTrY page 80

WOOL page 84

IN CONCLUSION page 88

OUr PUrPOSE page 94

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Starting from top left (clockwise): Buses, sheep shearing demonstration, sheep dog demonstration, FFA student leading 2nd graders to learning stations, wheat necklace station, bee station, white buckets provided by fruit growers.

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Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 second graders have participated in the Utah County Farm Field Days education event. The event is designed to give these youngsters and their teachers a look at the importance of agriculture in their lives while presenting concepts tied to the school’s core curriculum objectives and is provided without cost to the schools. It is sponsored by the Utah County Farm Bureau, organized by Utah State University Extension in Utah County, and supported by a variety of farm commodity groups and FFA chapters.

Each school year, the event is held for four days in October and four days in April. Schools sign up for the 14 slots available for classrooms during each of two daily sessions. Every classroom is assigned a farm symbol to help guide them around the farm. Roughly 400 students arrive each morning for a 90-minute visit followed by a similar group at mid-day.

After unloading from their buses, the students watch a gathering activity (sheep dog demonstrations in the fall, sheep shearing in the spring) while sitting on white buckets provided by fruit growers. FFA chapter students then act as guides to lead the second graders simultaneously to one of 14 learning stations. Every 6 minutes the guides help the groups rotate to their next stations until it is time to board the buses and leave the farm.

WHAT IT IS

HOW IT WOrkS

Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.

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SHEEP DOGSTATION

In the fall, all participants first gather to watch a sheep dog exhibition in an arena. A dog rounds up a small group of sheep and herds them into a pen with only the guidance of a hand signal or a whistle from the trainer. On some occasions, a dog herds ducks instead of sheep. After the exhibition, the trainer and dogs also have a learning station as part of the rotations where the kids can learn more.

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Herding ducks

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SHEEP SHEARINGSTATION

After buses arrive at the farm, students and teachers go to a gathering activity. In the spring there is a sheep shearing demonstration. Some 400 students are seated on plastic buckets in a very large circle and watch a grower shear a sheep while a commentator compares the procedure to getting a haircut. Many of the students get to touch the wool and feel the lanolin in it. From here the students are led by FFA guides to 14 different learning stations.

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FFAASSISTANCE

In addition to support from many farm organizations, the assistance of several FFA chapters is essential to the program. Many students are assigned as co-presenters at the learning stations while others serve as tour guides leading each group of kids from station to station. FFA presenters develop their teaching and speaking skills while guides earn a great deal of respect from their young charges.

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A lETTEr to dustin, ThE FFA lEAdEr OF ThE ClASS wITh “sheep” AS ThEIr farm symbol.

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The Utah County Cattlemen’s Association conveys two messages. One is the beneficial nutrition that comes from beef products—beef gives you ZIP—zinc, iron, and protein. The other is best grazing practices as a range fire deterrent comparing cattle to firefighters.

BEEFSTATION

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SAFETYSTATION

Safety rules are part of the elementary school healthy living curriculum. Presenters contrast safety rules for kids with safety rules on farms.

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“TO BE SAfE ON TrACTOrS AND WATCH WHErE YOU ArE GOING”

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CHILDrEN DrAW fArM EqUIPMENT

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HAND WASHINGSTATION

Teaching the importance of hand washing serves two purposes. It ties to a core curriculum objective to teach disease prevention practices and it readies the students for the nutrition station that is next in line. Students sit on buckets in a large enclosed trailer. After a discussion about germs and how to get rid of them, they learn a jingle sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” that goes, “Wash, wash, wash your hands, wash them nice and clean. Wash the fronts and wash the backs, your nails, and in between.”

Glo Germ™ is then used to imitate the hand-to-hand spread of germs. The doors to the trailer are shut, darkening the room, and a UV light shone on their hands reveals the spread of the “germs.” Before leaving the station, students use a strong sanitizer to clean their hands.

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WASH, WASH, wASH your HAndS, wASH tHem nice And CLEAN. WASH tHe FrontS And wASH tHe BAckS, yOur NAIlS, ANd in Between.

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NUTRITIONSTATION

Presenters use the Food Pyramid and MyPlate posters to help students learn the importance of healthy food choices. Each child gets a cup of water plus an apple slice, a cheese cube, a carrot stick, a wheat cracker, and a piece of beef jerky.

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HEALTHY SnAck cHoiceS

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Z.I.P. = Zinc, Iron, and Protein

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MINKSTATION

Area fur breeders bring a caged mink and introduce kids to an animal that many didn’t even know existed. They discuss raising mink and let them touch pelts.

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TERRY TOMATOSTATION

Terry Tomato is a talking, remote-control robot who visits with the students about what plants need to grow: water, soil, air, and sunshine.

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Kids learn about conditions necessary for fruit production and why 80 percent of Utah’s fruit is grown in Utah Valley. Presenters also talk about the health benefits of eating fruit.

FRUIT GROWERSSTATION

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WHEATSTATION

Side-by-side stations let kids see wheat go from field to seed to flour to dough and then . . .

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LIVING NECKLACESSTATION

. . . learn about germination through a hands-on activity placing wheat kernels on damp cotton

balls and then into a tiny plastic bag with a length of yarn to form a living necklace.

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wOrryINGABOuT ThE

WHEAT

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Presenters describe the journey of milk from cow to table and the nutritional benefits of dairy products.

DAIRY FARMERSSTATION

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Support from local beekeepers enables kids to experience the thrill of seeing bees up close in an observation hive. They also learn about hive organization, pollination, and the production of honey.

BEESSTATION

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directional dance to the pollen

Bees carrying pollen on their legs

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ANIMAL PARKSTATION

The most popular stop is usually the animal station. FFA students typically take the lead giving many participants their first chance to see horses, calves, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens up close.

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PORK PRODUCERS STATION

In addition to seeing piglets at the animal park, Farm Field Days’ participants visit a pork producer’s trailer where they view a video showing pork production and products, including, most notably to young girls, makeup.

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Pig hearts Are LikeHumAn hearts

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POULTRYSTATION

Poultry producers bring along a layer hen and talk about egg nutrition and poultry production from chicks to hens and roosters.

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WOOL GROWERSSTATION

In addition to sheep shearing and the sheep dog demonstration, there is periodically a wool grower’s station where they emphasize the wide variety of wool products.

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IN CONCLUSIONIt was a very busy day...

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I learned so many different things...

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I shared with my family when I got home...

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I thought about my future...

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And what agriculture means to me today.

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The purpose of this collection has been not only to amuse but also to show that activities like Farm Field Days can indeed help young children begin to understand the importance of agriculture in the world in which they live. Tests associated with the event also support that premise. On average, students have had a 24 percent increase between pre- and post-agricultural literacy tests.

fOr MANY TEACHErS, fArM fIELD DAYS MEAN MOrE THAN JUST ONE DAY AT THE fArM:

Jill Day, Provost Elementary

OUR PURPOSE

“Our school has participated in Farm Field Days for many years. Our school is a Title 1 school. Many of our children have never seen the animals we talk about in school. Our science standards cover life cycles. The opportunity to come to farm day and see the animals and talk about them is so important for them. They talk about it for days after. We are able to talk about where their food comes from and nutrition in the weeks previous and after the field trip. They are more interested to learn because of what they have actually seen. As the years have passed the presenters have improved their presentations to meet the needs of the children. They learn so many important things. I am able to use the field trip to spring board to writing activities, science activities, math problems, reading, and much more. We are very grateful for the time and efforts of the presenters and planners of Farm Field Days. It is a very worthwhile activity for our Second Grade Students.”

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Similar activities are held in most of Utah’s 29 counties. The supporting coalition memberships vary and the specific approach and content changes from site to site. All hope to help students better appreciate Utah’s agriculture and natural resources. This editor encourages readers to go to utah.agclassroom.org and clickOutreach>>Farm Field Days and volunteer to support an event near you.

The success of Farm Field Days in Utah County can be attributed to strong partnerships and extraordinary individual efforts during the past 20 years. Unfortunately, an attempt to list all key contributors would surely omit someone. But, because of the collective effort of everyone involved, kids can share with their families what they learned at the farm today!

Photo courtesy of John telford

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