Visitors to Farm City Day had the opportunity to see the more than 4,500 animals as part of the Keystone International Livestock Exposition.
Students participated in hands-on activities designed to teach them about agriculture and career opportunities available in the industry. Simple, interactive exhibits work well to engage children at Farm-City events
Pa. Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff visited with students at the 11th Annual Farm-City Day. |
Lessons on agriculture came to life for more than 1,600 students and nearly 300 adults during the Pa. Department of Agriculture’s annual Farm-City Day, held October 5, 2007 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center.
Pa. Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff welcomed second through fifth graders from 28 public, private and home schools in Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties and stressed the importance of agriculture in students’ daily activities.
“With less than two percent of Americans engaged in farming today, each generation is becoming further removed from agriculture,” said Secretary Wolff. “Allowing children to explore agriculture for a day will help them better understand the origins of our food supply and the career and educational opportunities available to them through agriculture, even in urban areas.”
Hands-on educational stations
Students took part in more than 22 hands-on educational stations, learning about agricultural products including dairy products, vegetables, beef and apples. They also had the opportunity to see farm animals and learned first-hand how to milk a cow.
“Many children have never had the chance to visit a working farm,” Wolff said. “Because of this, they may never consider an agriculture-related career, such as a farmer or large animal veterinarian. Farm-City Day provides this exposure and opens eyes to new opportunities they may never have known existed.”
Students were also able to attend the 51st Keystone International Livestock Exposition (KILE), which features 4,500 animals, including beef cattle, horses, sheep and swine, and 1,300 exhibitors from 30 states and Canada.
Farm-City Day was sponsored by the Pa. Department of Agriculture, with support from the Agriculture Awareness Foundation. To learn more about Pa.’s agriculture education initiative, visit www.marketplaceforthemind.com. |
