By Julie Tomascik
Associate Editor
Agriculture is a mystery for some students. Its deep roots in Texas lie just beyond their classroom’s reach.
But Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Planting the Seed program changes that.
The school visits bring agriculture to the classroom and help reconnect students with the farmers and ranchers who grow their food, fiber and fuel.
“There’s nothing like the hands-on experiences these students get,” said Mona Oney, TFB’s director of Educational Outreach. “We introduce them to the crops grown in Texas and let them ‘meet’ the farmers and ranchers who are responsible for their food through video segments.”
And the program is expanding.
Planting the Seed is booking school visits in the Amarillo-Lubbock, Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco-Austin areas.
“We’ve continued to grow as more schools are interested in the program. We want to reach more students and teachers and help answer their questions and show them what agriculture is all about,” Oney said.
Through the program, students learn the science behind growing healthy plants by getting their hands dirty—planting a seed and watching it grow.
“They get to become a farmer by nurturing that plant,” Oney said. “Through Planting the Seed, our focus is on who is growing our food, who is raising our livestock and what it takes to make it all happen.”
The program is aligned with Texas curriculum standards for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade.
Click here to book a visit.