• Article Photo. Students met Miss Ohio, or rather a sheep with that name, during Ag Day on Wednesday.
    Students met Miss Ohio, or rather a sheep with that name, during Ag Day on Wednesday.
  • Article Photo. 2014 Fair Princess Dorothy Zaugg helps apply a temporary 4-H tattoo to an Ag Day participant.
    2014 Fair Princess Dorothy Zaugg helps apply a temporary 4-H tattoo to an Ag Day participant.
  • Article Photo. Children react while watching Adam Albertson's electrical safety presentation during Ag Day.
    Children react while watching Adam Albertson's electrical safety presentation during Ag Day.

Virtually every third grade student who attends school in Benton County spent part of Wednesday at the Benton County Fairgrounds, learning about agriculture, livestock and other lessons about farming.

For more than 20 years, the Benton County Extension Office has organized the event, with the help of many partners. The Vinton-Shellsburg and Benton Community FFA members assisted, telling the attendees about their pigs, horses, rabbits and poultry.

Students saw a tractor and disc, and learned that Iowa farmers plant 1 million corn seeds per second during planting season – nearly 400 billion seeds total. They learned how goat’s milk is different from cow’s milk, and what foods contain corn.

The Benton County Cattlemen and The Benton County Pork Producers prepared burgers for lunch. Students from Vinton-Shellsburg, Benton, Belle Plaine and the VS/Benton Home School Assistance Programs participated. 

Inside the 4-H building, where the students ate, were several displays. Adam Albertson of the ECI REC brought his electrical safety display. Students laughed as they saw a Scooby Doo toy smoking because his kite got stuck in a power line as Albertson explained the benefits and dangers of electricity. 

Macy Arbuckle and Stan Geiken discussed bees; children also heard a display from an Iowa Corn Board representative, who explained how corn is processed into several main ingredients. Jon Geiger of the Benton County Conservation Board also showed the students the collection of pelts of animals they may see in this part of the country.

The partners in 3rd Grade Ag Day are BC Farm Bureau, BC Corn Growers, BC Cattlemen, BC Dairy Porducers, BC Pork producers, VS FFA  Belle Plaine FFA, Benton Comm FFA, BC ISUEO, ECI REC, BC Conservation, BC 4-H and all three Schools Belle Plaine, VS and Benton Comm 3rd Graders .

 

See more photos HERE.