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COSI on Wheels Agriculture Adventures has been one of the most sought after OFBF-sponsored programs since its launch four years ago. There are just 25 of 125 dates available for the 2004-05 school year, and there are limited dates available this summer for county fairs and other special events.

The Ohio Farm Bureau State Board of Trustees has extended support of the program through the 2005-06 school year. According to COSI, the Agriculture Adventures program is being requested at a faster rate than their other outreach programs.

"The benefit of (OFBF and COSI’s) collaboration is simply that students will have a better understanding of how food gets from the farm to the table," said Bill Alexander, director of COSI.

This innovative COSI program brings agriculture to more than 60,000 students, parents and teachers a year. Agriculture Adventures has visited more than 70 counties in Ohio and six states. COSI, Ohio’s premier science education organization, brings fun, first-hand experiences to schools with the COSI On Wheels program.

Students join their COSI demonstrator on the set of "Lunch Room Live," a show about how your food is produced, from the farm to the table. They also get the chance to experiment with technology used on today’s farms, test soil samples, find out about agriculture in Ohio and the Great Lakes region, and see if they have what it takes to be a farmer in the new millennium. Hands-on activities include milking through a machine simulation, testing soil, keeping pests away from crops and more.

COSI provides one enthusiastic COSI demonstrator, a training session for adult volunteers, and all materials for the entire school day. The hosting school is responsible for scheduling the program, paying the $840 daily fee, providing room and tables for the assembly and hands-on sessions, and engaging 15 to 20 adult volunteers and two people to help unload and set-up the day before.

Traveling throughout Ohio and adjoining states, the program visits four elementary schools each week. It was a featured demonstration at a recent National Agriculture in the Classroom conference.

There are plenty of opportunities for Farm Bureau volunteers to assist schools hosting the program. Members are encouraged to call their local schools to see if assistance is needed with set-up before the program or to volunteer the day of the program. The COSI schedule is posted on the Ohio Farm Bureau Web site, www.ofbf.org under Teacher Resources, or members may call county Farm Bureau offices.