Celebrate Agriculture in the Classroom on National Ag Day - March 18

With our recent weather, it is hard to imagine that we will be welcoming spring in about two weeks. Farmers are itching to get out in their fields to start preparing the land for this year's crops, and we want to celebrate their efforts in providing food for our tables.

Wednesday, March 18, is National Ag Day, and we want to encourage you to plan a classroom activity that helps students understand how food and fiber products are produced and appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products.

Here are a few suggestions:

K-3: Read a book that accurately portrays agriculture 

Each year, the American Farm Bureau Foundation selects an agriculture book for volunteers to read in classrooms across the country on Ag Day. Teaching plans and additional resources are available.

This year's book is The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara. In this playful and humorous story, the students learn a lot about apples and apple orchards-including how apples are harvested, how cider is made, and what the different varieties of apples are-while trying to solve a riddle. Purchase the book from AFBF if it is not available in your library. An educator's guide aligned to Common Core Standards is also available for purchase.

Kentucky Connection - After reading the book, teachers may then show their students this Kentucky Farms Feed Me video about an apple orchard in Kentucky. A teacher's guide and student worksheets are available for printing free of charge.

We have additional book suggestions on our Pinterest page for various ages and reading levels.


Grades 4-8: Explore Kentucky Agriculture Geography and Statistics Lesson

Help students understand where Kentucky farmers are located and what agricultural products are produced where they live with social studies and data interpretation.

View the Lesson: Teacher's Guide and Student Worksheet | Ky Farm Data by County

Main Ideas:

• Kentucky farms are diverse and produce a variety of crops and animals.
• Local farms are important because they provide food, jobs, and income for Kentucky's citizens.
• Some crops and animals are grown in specific regions of Kentucky due to land formations and the availability of natural, human, and capital resources.

Grades 6-12: Watch and Discuss the Video: "Your Food, Farm to Table"

This short, infographic style video from The International Food Information Council Foundation, highlights the benefits of modern food production and technology. As the population grows, discuss how farmers can meet food needs with limited resources. Next step: Have students write an essay on how farming has changed over the last 50 or 150 years. Encourage students to reference tools farmers now have available to them and current challenges shown in the video.

We would love to hear how you celebrated National Ag Day! If you email us a story or photo that we may share with other Kentucky teachers, you will be entered in a drawing to receive the Agriculture Adventures Program free of charge at your school in April or May.

Send your email to info@teachkyag.org. Be sure to include your name, school name, and grade.