Written by Megan Burda
Agriculture is the heart of Nebraska. As the state’s leading industry, the impact goes far beyond our food supply, providing jobs, significantly contributing to our state’s economy, and touching the lives of citizens every day.Â
Last week, Nebraska Extension in York and Polk Counties hosted the second annual Ag Fest, at the York County fairgrounds for more than 230 fourth grade students.
The goal of the field day experience was to introduce students from diverse backgrounds to the basic concepts of ag production and the significance of agriculture in Nebraska. Students were immersed in ag through 25-minute, interactive sessions based on the following topics:
Beef Production – Dan Crawford, Jeanette McLean, Linda Blender & Rachel Olson
Dairy Production – Melissa Konecky, Nebraska Extension & Nuttleman Dairy
Corn & Soybean Production – Jenny Rees, Nebraska Extension
Sheep & Wool Production – Clare Quandt & Kelsey Patton of Spindle, Shuttle and Needle
Food Science – Amy Peterson & Colleen Pallas, Nebraska Extension
Ag By-products – Megan Burda, Nebraska Extension
Ag Technology – Chris Peterson, Plains Equipment & Reggie Raffert, Cross County FFA
Swine Production – Kara Perdue & Danielle Kaliff, Pigs provided by Steve Geis
On Tuesday, October 3rd, York County schools attended Ag Fest including York Elementary, Emmanuel-Faith Lutheran, St. Joseph Catholic School, Heartland, Trinity Lutheran. York and Heartland FFA members also served as group leaders throughout the day.
Polk County schools attended on Thursday, October 6th, including Cross County, Osceola, Shelby-Rising City and High Plains. High Plains FFA members also served as group leaders throughout the day
“It was great to see all of the students excited and engaged in learning about various aspects of agriculture. These kids were learning that many careers can be connected to the ag industry; for example careers in technology are constantly changing ag production. The best part is knowing that these youth could potentially be the future of ag,†says program coordinator, Tanya Crawford (Extension Assistant in York County).
The Ag Fest program was made possible through generous sponsors, including, York-Hamilton Cattlemen, Grand Central Foods, Nuttleman Dairy, York County Corn Growers, Cornerstone Bank, and Merrick-Polk Cattlemen.
Programs like this are important because of the significance of agriculture in Nebraska. According to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, annually, production agriculture contributes more than $25 billion to Nebraska’s economy, thanks to Nebraska farmers and ranchers working on 49,100 farms and ranches spread across more than 45 million acres. It is encouraging to see young people learning about where their food comes from. Hopefully this will help them appreciate the impact of the ag industry in our everyday lives.
Group photos from Reggie Raffert using a drone
