Have your children ever wondered why pigs play in mud? Or why corn has hair? Well now they can get their answers—directly from a real farmer.
Through the educational project Kids’ Questions about Agriculture, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has farmers ready to answer children’s and students’ questions about farming and where their food comes from. Youth and their parents can submit questions using an online form at bit.ly/3AlQYT8, and a farmer will answer with a video reply from their farm.
The foundation’s goal is to answer one question per week, and the videos will be posted to the foundation’s Facebook page.
Parents and teachers are encouraged to engage kids’ curiosity about agriculture by inspiring them with prompts like, “Have you ever imagined where your favorite food comes from?”
In addition, for parents who are looking for more activities to engage students, there are countless free educational resources available from organizations like AFBFA and Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom. These organizations work to provide materials and activities that expand children’s knowledge about agriculture’s importance and the sources of their food and fiber.
“With the average person three generations removed from the farm, children are more disconnected from farming and agriculture than they’ve ever been,” said Tammy Maxey, AITC programs director.
The Virginia AITC’s website and Facebook page are filled with free resources on a number of topics designed to help increase agricultural literacy. Those resources include lesson plans, cooking activities, virtual farm tours, educational videos and games.
“We hope that youth will be inspired by their growing knowledge of agriculture and take home a curiosity that engages the entire family,” Maxey said.
