Stewart Elementary 1st grade students learned how farmers are superheroes too. They listened to a book and drew pictures of different jobs farmers do to provide our foods, fuels, and fibers. Photo courtesy of Rinner.

Area residents interested in youth agriculture education are encouraged to donate for a program provided by Washington County Extension and Outreach.

Extension is currently in the second year of its Agriculture in the Classroom program, which visits over 30 elementary classrooms throughout the county monthly to instruct on topics including beef, corn, dairy, soybean, and turkey production; water and soil conservation; and the 1980’s farm crisis. Youth Outreach Educator Diane Rinner has been visiting classrooms through Zoom this school year, while providing each classroom with the supplies for each lesson. She is currently seeking community partners to fund this program for the 2021-2022 school year, and there are several pledge levels, “I mean anything would be fantastic, I’m excited for $50, I get really excited for that. So anything right now I will take. My program would like to have $10-12,000 so we’re getting there, we still have a ways to go though.”

Pledges support the lessons and supplies needed to educate Washington County youth about agriculture and where their food, fuel, and fiber come from. Agriculture in the Classroom is a partnership between Washington County Extension and Outreach and Washington County Farm Bureau. For more information on the program, contact Rinner at drinner@iastate.edu or (319) 653-4811.