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This month, Ohio Farm Bureau hosted 24 K-2nd grade educators for a professional development event, Food Roots: Where your Lunch Begins, while at the 2025 Ohio State Fair. 

This free, one-day professional development event hosted by Ohio Farm Bureau was open to any formal educator who instructs kindergarten, first grade or second grade in Ohio. The event included in-depth visits with farmers and commodity groups in each of the livestock barns, hands-on curriculum training, and a stop at Ohio Farm Bureau’s Little Farmer exhibit. All of the educators who attended Food Roots also received two standards-aligned hands-on lesson kits that include National Ag in the Classroom content and agriculturally accurate books. 

“As new generations are becoming farther removed from the farm, the gap between agriculture and consumers becomes wider,” said Mary Klopfenstein, Young Agricultural Professionals and Ag Literacy program specialist for Ohio Farm Bureau. “Our hope is that through providing professional development events like this to Ohio educators, along with hands-on curriculum, we can show students, and their educators, how essential agriculture is to our everyday lives.”

Many of the 2025 participants gave the program a five-star rating with 100% of them saying they would recommend the opportunity to fellow K-2nd educators. It was also noted in the post-survey that nearly half of the teachers who participated teach primarily in urban and suburban areas. 

More information on Ohio Farm Bureau’s events and agricultural education efforts can be found at the organization’s Agriculture Education page.

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

This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions should be directed to Ty Higgins, 614-246-8231 or [email protected].

Editors: A photo from the 2025 Food Roots tour is available for download.