When COVID-19 shuttered offices and forced those who could work from home to fire up their computers or tablets and operate remotely, some folks got creative. 

Taylor Pontsler is the new organization director for Champaign, Clark, Darke and Miami County Farm Bureaus. She and her even newer media and marketing associate Lauren Stevens decided to be proactive and use technology and time to their advantage. 

“Lauren came up with the idea to do a virtual ‘Ag in the Classroom’ type of thing,” Pontsler said. “It started prior to the first stay-at-home order, and we were planning on doing them in the office. I asked her to come up with two weeks worth of ideas that we could post…and she definitely did not disappoint.”

Stevens earned her associate’s degree in agriscience education at Ohio State ATI in Wooster and went about putting those skills to use. On the county Farm Bureaus’ Facebook pages she has posted about everything from how to make butter and applesauce to how to start a Little Seed House, an activity created by National Ag in the Classroom and inspired by the book The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. 

“I planted corn in mine, Lauren planted tomatoes and hers is growing a little slower,” Pontsler said. “This activity was planned as a result of COVID-19, although we really wanted to start utilizing social media prior to all of this. (The pandemic) just kind of jump started our ideas.” 

Pontsler said she is also working in conjunction with one of the local FFA Chapters in Darke County on virtual ag tours that can be followed up by an activity provided by the county Farm Bureau. “We might be stuck at home, but we’re making the best of it,” she said. 

Take part in the lessons

Go to ofb.ag/aitc-lessons to get information on starting your own Little Seed House.

See a tutorial at ofb.ag/littleseedhouse.