By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Next spring, young students across Texas can once again virtually visit farms and ranches right from their classrooms through Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Farm From School program.
“This program is unique because the students get to learn from a real farmer. It is personal in that classrooms can ask questions and see the real happenings of what is taking place on the farm at that time,” said Jordan Bartels, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Educational Outreach. “Students get to see just how diverse Texas agriculture is through the live visits to farms and ranches all across the state.”
The program is popular in Texas schools. The September visit, as part of the Fall 2021 program, had over 9,500 students participate, and teachers in higher grade levels showed interest in the program.
So, Farm From School will expand to include students in kindergarten through fifth grade in Spring 2022.
“Farm From School has proven to be a popular program because it offers students the opportunity to learn from a real farmer in live, virtual visits from the field, and students never have to leave the classroom,” Bartels said. “This program allows farmers and ranchers to bring education and information to students who otherwise might never have the opportunity to see how pumpkins, peanuts and more are grown and harvested.”
Each visit will feature a different commodity and farmer to showcase the diversity of Texas agriculture.
“With students today being several generations removed from the farm, there is a need to help students understand where their food, fiber, fuel and other items come from and how agriculture is science, math, social studies, STEM and so much more,” Bartels said. “Agriculture connects directly to what they learn each day in their classrooms.”
Classrooms will connect virtually with the farmers and ranchers once a month from February through May. Student questions can be submitted via the chat function on the virtual platform during the visits.
“We encourage farmers and ranchers across the state to share this program with teachers they may know,” Bartels said. “After all, what better way to educate and engage young students about agriculture than to have them learn directly from a farmer or rancher?”
TFB will also provide TEKS-aligned lessons, activity books and other companion resource materials for the virtual farm visits.
Public, private and homeschool educators who teach kindergarten through fifth grade are eligible to participate. Interested teachers can sign up at https://txfb.us/FFSregister22.
Sign up closes Jan. 7, 2022, for the spring semester.
Additional details about the program, including dates and crops featured, will be added on TFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom webpage as they become available.
Contact Bartels at edoutreach@txfb.org or call 254.751.2569.