Students at Newton Parrish Elementary School got taste of what a day on the farm is like on Friday, as they got some up-close and hands-on experience while learning about different aspects of agriculture.
Sarah Howard, a 2nd-grade teacher, said she started Ag Day to give students who may not otherwise have the opportunity the accessibility to learn about agriculture. She noted that Daviess County Public Schools have similar days.
“We thought it was kind of crazy that just a couple miles down the road you have tractors, fields and animals out, and our kids don’t even really know that’s all there,” Howard said.
She said sometimes when she asks students about their knowledge of farming and where their food comes from, many only could cite it coming from grocery store shelves.
Since they can’t take all the students to a farm, Howard opted to bring the farm to them in the school’s recess area.
There were hayrides, a few excavators, a helicopter and a petting zoo. Howard said for many, it was their first time interacting with farm equipment. She also said that earlier in the semester some students hatched and took care of baby chickens and then gave a presentation to younger students about chicks.
“I feel like this can help them make those connections and they can find things that they’re interested in,” Howard said. “They will know there’s a whole big world out there that they can be a part of.”
