By Julie Tomascik
Editor
As schools and events continued to adapt to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) stayed active in growing an understanding of agriculture.
In 2021, TFB’s Organization Division, which handles education and urban outreach, communicated with teachers, students and communities through a variety of classroom activities, events and workshops.
“Our educational outreach programs, staff and volunteer leaders helped plant the seeds of agricultural knowledge to grow a better understanding of what farmers and ranchers do,” Whit Weems, TFB director of Organization Division, said.
Through the Summer Agriculture Institute, Summer Ag Academies and virtual teacher workshops, teachers learned ways to incorporate agriculture into their curriculum and took home lesson plans.
The new Farm From School program reached over 440 teachers and 10,600 students. Each month, the students visited with farmers through live sessions to talk about growing pumpkins, peanuts, Christmas trees and raising poultry.
Thousands of adults and children interacted with the new Doorways to Agriculture exhibit, which features interactive, educational displays at fairs and livestock shows across the state.
TFB’s mobile learning barns, which are trailers that feature up to seven different crops and livestock, were used to help initiate conversations and teach nearly 47,100 adults and children last year.
Eighth grade students and high school students participated in the virtual Student Success Series to learn about free enterprise, constitutional government, setting goals and leadership.
County Farm Bureau leaders and TFB Field Operations staff also participated in farmers markets, fairs and other venues and hosted Ag Days for elementary students throughout the year.
“We’re able to start the dialogue about agriculture, food and farming in a variety of settings,” Weems said. “We hope to continue to grow ag literacy and awareness in the coming year and build on top of the foundation we’ve created.”
For more information on educational outreach activities and opportunities, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.