Stewart Elementary 1st grade students learned how farmers are superheroes too. They listened to a book and drew pictures of different jobs farmers do to provide our foods, fuels, and fibers. Photo courtesy of Rinner.

Those who believe in the value of teaching agriculture in the classroom are invited to donate to a program currently in its second year from Washington County Extension and Outreach.

Agriculture in the Classroom is held monthly in various elementary classrooms in Washington County, and in its first year 39 classrooms participated with 725 students and 48 adults experiencing lesson topics including beef, corn, dairy, soybeans, turkeys, water and soil conservation, the farm crisis of the 1980’s, and seed germination.

For this year’s program Youth Outreach Educator Diane Rinner has been sending supplies to the classrooms to do hands-on activities with her over Zoom, which she says has gone well. Rinner says since 1 in 5 Iowa jobs are agriculture related, she believes it is vital for students to understand what agriculture is and how it influences our everyday lives, “The food and many other products that we rely on everyday come from agriculture, and so if we can continue to educate area students on where their food and fiber and fuel come from and have people become more interested in agriculture then that means that we start them on the right path.”

Though Agriculture in the Classroom is co-sponsored by Washington County Farm Bureau, Rinner says she is working to raise $10-12,000 for next year’s program. There are different levels of giving to support Washington County Agriculture in the Classroom program. Sponsor a Child for $25-$100, Sponsor a Classroom for $101-$500, Sponsor a Lesson for $501-$1,000, or be a Golden Plow Sponsor for $1001 or more. For more information about this program or other ways to support Agriculture in the Classroom, please contact Diane Rinner at drinner@iastate.edu or (319) 653-4811.