Why am I a Farm Bureau Member?
Everything we eat and many things we touch, wear or use daily, originates on a farm. However, many elementary students do not understand how much they need a farmer to do the simplest of tasks. The Farm Bureau in each Illinois county provides educational programs that teach, instruct, guide and support our schools and communities to promote understanding and the benefits of agriculture. One of those programs is Ag in the Classroom.
The highlight of my week is teaching Ag in the Classroom lessons at DuPage County public and private schools. Students’ faces light up with delight and interest when they understand that corn grown in Illinois is used to make Frito-Lay Chips; a brown cow makes white milk; an item they use at school might be manufactured with soybeans; or baseballs would not exist without farmers.
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During monthly classroom visits, these students discover a new appreciation for farmers and find a connection to Illinois’ agriculture. They learn that Illinois is the No. 1 grower of pumpkins and horseradish; the top commodities in the state are field corn and soybeans; or when they study mathematics, technology, photography, nutrition, biology, chemistry and other fields of study, they can one day provide a service for a farmer.
On more than one occasion, I have heard several students say, “I want be a farmer when I grow up!” or “I can help a farmer by learning more about what I love to do!” That, my friend, is why I am proud to be a Farm Bureau member and why I teach for the Ag in the Classroom program.
Check out your county’s Farm Bureau AITC program at agintheclassroom.org.
– Marilyn DeVries, Cook County Farm Bureau member
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