Two million farms cover America’s rural landscape. Two million may seem like a lot, but the number of farms has declined steadily from a peak 6.8 million farms in 1935. As a result, people are less likely to know where their food comes from, the farmer that produced it, and how it was grown or raised.

Teaching children about agricultural production in Pickaway County opens their eyes to the food and farms that surround them, and reveals potential careers close to home. It deepens their understanding of the environment and conservation, establishes life-long habits of healthy nutrition and builds pride for their community.

In years past, the Pickaway County Farm Bureau and Soil and Water Conservation District have partnered to put on an annual Ag Day event to teach elementary students about agriculture in their community. Partners were unable to hold Ag Day in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“When we were faced with the difficult decision to cancel Ag Day, it was important to the county Farm Bureau and SWCD to find a creative way to build ag literacy and celebrate agriculture in our community,” said Ivory Harlow, organization director of the Pickaway County Farm Bureau.

VirtualAgDays.com was created to showcase agriculture in Pickaway County. The platform contains videos featuring local farms and a variety of ag topics such as bees, hogs, soybeans and more. SWCD Education and Outreach Coordinator Katerina Sharp developed curriculum targeting grades three through five to support and fortify learning.

“While we weren’t able to have Ag Day in person, we still wanted it to be as interactive as possible. By creating interactive activities online, teachers and students were able to access them anywhere. This was the best way to ensure our curriculum reached our students whether they were learning in the classroom, at home or hybrid,” Sharp said.

Fourth grade students in four county school districts and two additional school systems received AgMag publications on each topic. New content is published to virtualagdays.com to keep learning fresh and new!

“The students enjoy seeing local farmers and products, every once in a while they even recognize someone! If we can’t go to the fairgrounds and experience Ag Day, at least we can bring it to our classrooms. Students really love the ag magazines; they enjoy learning about how agriculture affects our community, country and world. I’ve even had students tell me how much their parents enjoy them!” said Andi Koch, a teacher at Walnut Elementary, Teays Valley School District.

Virtual Ag Days was made possible by the Pickaway County Community Foundation and South Central Power. Virtual Ag Days has been nominated for a 2021 collaboration award from the Ohio Association of Agricultural Educators.

Visit virtualagdays.com to learn more.

Ohio Farm Bureau’s mission is working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities. Learn more at ofbf.org.

 

 

Labor has always been an issue, mainly because we are a seasonal operation. So that's a challenge finding somebody who only wants to work three months out of a year, sometimes up to six months.
Mandy Way's avatar
Mandy Way

Way Farms

Farm Labor Resources
I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. The extras that are included in membership are wonderful, but I'm a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.
Ernie Welch's avatar
Ernie Welch

Van Wert County Farm Bureau

Strong communities
I see the value and need to be engaged in the community I live in, to be a part of the decision-making process and to volunteer with organizations that help make our community better.
Matt Aultman's avatar
Matt Aultman

Darke County Farm Bureau

Leadership development
Farm Bureau involvement has taught me how to grow my professional and leadership experience outside of the workforce and how to do that in a community-centric way.
Jaclyn De Candio's avatar
Jaclyn De Candio

Clark County Farm Bureau

Young Ag Professionals program
With not growing up on a farm, I’d say I was a late bloomer to agriculture. I feel so fortunate that I found the agriculture industry. There are so many opportunities for growth.
Jenna Gregorich's avatar
Jenna Gregorich

Coshocton County Farm Bureau

Growing our Generation
Knowing that horticulture is under the agriculture umbrella and having Farm Bureau supporting horticulture like it does the rest of ag is very important.
Jared Hughes's avatar
Jared Hughes

Groovy Plants Ranch

Groovy Plants Ranch
If it wasn't for Farm Bureau, I personally, along with many others, would not have had the opportunity to meet with our representatives face to face in Washington.
Austin Heil's avatar
Austin Heil

Hardin County Farm Bureau

Washington, D.C. Leadership Experience
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Mary Smallsreed's avatar
Mary Smallsreed

Trumbull County Farm Bureau

Advocacy
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