| Students get taste of farming's role in food |
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| Written by BILL RYAN Sentinel Farm Editor | ||||
| Thursday, 24 May 2012 10:51 | ||||
The Eastwood FFA annually holds a special event to educate the fourth-grade students in the district with its Food for America field day. More than 120 elementary students from Luckey and Pemberville elementaries visited two area farms May 10 to learn from the FFA students. "Over the past four years of doing Food for America, I've seen the benefit of educating kids on where their food comes from," said senior Bryan Cajka, There were five stations each at two separate farms with a wide array of subjects were covered to detail where "the store" gets the food and products to sell. "I had a lot of fun at the farms, said Ben Thompson, from Pemberville Elementary, adding, "I learned that horses don't stop eating." Speaking of horses, fellow Pemberville student Chloe Wilson said, "It was very fun to learn about horses and how to clean them." She also said she learned marshmallows were made from cow and sheep hooves. The younger students were mostly taught by the FFA students. There were a variety of hands-on and visual learning opportunities for them. The FFA students tried to assure the day was both fun and educational. At the sheep and goat station, for example, there was a wide variety of items and the fourth-graders had to decide if any byproducts from either animal were used in the creation of the product. In addition to those listed above, other items created from byproducts include hand lotion, shampoo and gum, to name a few. "This is a great way for the kids to learn about animals," said Nichole Eschedor who helped coordinate the activities. Several fourth graders noted the "fun fact" learned was that Iowa has the most pigs. At the Martin Farm on Luckey Road, the younger students learned about beef, swine, sheep and goats, agronomy and dairy. At the Russell Farm on Devil's Hole Road, the sessions included poultry and rabbits, tractor safety, horses, wildlife as well as popcorn and promotion.
Luke Haar of Pemberville liked the fact that pigs are easy to train as a house pet; while classmate Brooke Moenter noted she learned make-up came from animal fat. Two of the young boys liked learning how to lasso. "My favorite part was learning to rope. It was awesome," said Paul Smith from Luckey Elementary. Ross Beaverson from Pemberville echoed the sentiment, expanding on his roping talent, "I was a natural - just need to work on my aim. It's a little off." Eastwood FFA reporter Liz Hirzel noted how many of the younger kids did not know the difference between hay and straw until that day. She explained, "Hay is green and used as food for sheep, cattle and goats. Straw is yellow, and is bedding for animals. It is made from wheat stalks." Pemberville student Jacob D'Amore shared, "I also learned about dairy cows, and the cattle have to have a calf before they become a cow." Both the high school and elementary students enjoyed the day. FFA member Erin Nelson said, "It's really cool to be able to teach the kids where food actually comes from. Many of them have no idea at all. I think being able to show them in a hands-on way definitely helps them to gain a better understanding." "It was beautiful and amazing," said Kelly Royal, a Pemberville student. |
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