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The community outreach arm of Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) has adopted a second-grade classroom at Stiles Elementary School in western Franklin County. OFBF's Club Fed will be organizing an activity once per month for student/staff interaction. The project was kicked off with a school supply drive in August. Other planned activities include reading to the class, carving pumpkins and helping with holiday craft projects.

Club Fed also donated a complete set of the Ohio Farm Bureau children's literature collection. All of the books revolve around agriculture and some have received the OFBF Children's Literature Award, making them a distinguished contribution to American literature for children. For the first classroom activity, OFBF employee Julie Shull read "If It Weren't for Farmers," and then the children collectively shared what they had learned from the book. The students took two of the ideas and wrote them down on paper to take home and share with their parents.

Upcoming activities include planting seeds in the spring, a lesson on dairy and an ice cream social and a day to talk about Ohio products, with a farmer visiting the classroom to talk about what a farmer does.

"This is an excellent opportunity for our employees to get involved with the community and reach children who might not know where their food comes from or what responsibilities come with farming," said Club Fed Chairman Chip Nelson, OFBF’s director of Advisory Council programs. "These students are very eager to participate and look forward to our visit each month."

Caption: Miss Bonachea's second grade class is OFBF's new adopted class. Pictured in the front row, l to r: Corry Hawkins, Donovan Andrix, Kati Harney, Mariah Skunca, Seth Talley, Gladis Landaverde, Christina Keller. Back row, l to r: Miss Bonachea, Pablo Paredes, Brianna Clarkson, Ashton Huffman, Patrick McGrath, Samatar Issa, Bill Howard, Ebory Aguirre, April Piper. Not pictured: Juan Fragozo, Omer Ali, Yana Burdak, Melanie Ward, Lea Zanish.