2012 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference

Loveland, Colorado
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Rendezvous in the Rockies
SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

You can select Workshop, Mini-Workshop and Workshop-on-Wheels choices when you register. Choose one for each time slot or session (you'll be able to attend a morning workshop, afternoon workshop, morning mini-workshop and afternoon workshop). Choose one Workshop-on-Wheels tour.

Presenters have designated grade levels for their workshop sessions. Frequently, the ideas and lessons shared can be adjusted up or down depending on the age of the group your are educating. The grade levels are merely suggestions and you are welcome to attend any session.

Please understand that the program may change due to circumstances beyond our control.


WORKSHOPS
MORNING SESSION
Wednesday, June 20 9:30 am-11:00 am
W01   Harvest of the Month

Applicable Grade Levels: Pre-K through 8th

Applicable Subject Areas: All core curriculum, PE, Visual

Dana Bessinger, Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom

Children's health and well-being is a concern in our state and nation. We want students to have the opportunity to learn about healthy choices and develop a taste for healthy food. The target audience will be those educators who have an influence on children. Educator resources and ideas to incorporate eating fresh and nutritious specialty crops with Ag in the Classroom lessons will be provided. The resources contain ideas for teachers to use in classrooms to integrate agriculture through the core curriculum. Lessons are also connected to SmartBoard lessons and power point technology.
W02   American History with Ag in the Classroom

Applicable Grade Levels: 6th-8th

Applicable Subject Areas: World Geography, American History

Angela Bright, Loudon County Schools, Philadelphia Elementary, Tennessee

The target audience for this presentation is 6th-8th grade middle school Social Studies teachers, however, anyone who would like to learn how to integrate AITC curriculum into their Social Studies lessons will benefit. The presentation will show how our country's history and agriculture go hand-in-hand and share proven ways to integrate white board activities into classroom activities and enhance your lessons using internet resources, flip charts, instructional strategies and lesson plans. Activities presented meet Tennessee Social Studies standards.

W03   From Farm to Plate: A Look at Modern Livestock Farming

Applicable Grade Levels: 4th-8th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Math

Kevin Daughtery, Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom

This session is for 4th-8th grade teachers, AITC staff and volunteers interested in learning more about modern livestock farming and how to incorporate our ready-made lessons, activities and curricular resources into current classroom instruction. This session will include hands-on activities and lessons and will feature SMART Board livestock lessons.The new Illinois AITC Livestock Ag Mag, which features interviews with real farmers, veterinarians and individuals involved in the livestock industry, will be an included feature.

W04   The Literacy CAFÉ the Ag Way

Applicable Grade Levels: K-5th

Applicable Subject Areas: Literacy, Ag, Science and Technology, Social Studies

Cheryl Bombenger, TADA (Teaching Activities Done Aesthetically)
 
The Literacy CAFÉ (Gail Boshey and Joan Moser) is taking the country by storm. Teaching "literacy" now has a step by step procedure for teachers to use to improve Comprehension, Accuracy, Frequency, and Expanding Your Vocabulary. You can do the Literacy CAFÉ the Ag Way and incorporate literature and writing assignments with agricultural themes. This is an opportunity to learn strategies both from the book and elsewhere that will support these literacy goals. Songs to support learning will spice things up. K-5 teachers and ag in the classroom contacts will benefit from Cheryl's presentation. Adding songs to assist with skills and strategies will show educators how to ignite students who succeed with differentiated instruction.

W05   Bringing Web 2.0 Tools Out of the Cloud and Down to Earth

Applicable Grade Levels: 4th-12th

Applicable Subject Areas: All

Debra Spielmakerl, Utah State University

 
Participants will explore ways to integrate web 2.0 tools into lesson plans and classroom activities. Bring your cell phone, laptop or tablet to maximize this experience! In the last two years numerous web tools have appeared online that can be easily integrated into existing lesson plans and classroom activities making instruction seem more relavant, interesting or "cool" while saving time, paper and providing more immediate feedback to students.

W06   The Gifted Garden: The Gift That Keeps Us Living

Applicable Grade Levels: 2nd-6th

Applicable Subject Areas: Math, Photography, Computer Skills, Science, Reading, Social Studies, Art

Shirley Lettkeman, Watonga Elementary School, Oklahoma
 
This presentation will provide details regarding the development of a gifted garden and related activities.  Multiple project plans will be presented or available which can be integrated into classroom/garden project activities.  Information regarding beneficial AITC projects will be referenced. Learn how parents and community can be utilized to strengthen the learning experience for everyone. Classroom teachers interested in hands-on interaction with students on project work which bridges agriculture with learning goals in the classroom, closely integrating learning objectives will delight in information from the presentation. Others who work with the schools coordinating agriculture will be interested in hands-on practical projects which help promote agriculture while strengthening the learning process by incorporating multiple-sensory activities.

W07   Some more Scrambled States!

Applicable Grade Levels: 3rd-8th

Applicable Subject Areas: Language, Science, History

Kevin Daugherty, Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
 
Using the popular book "The Scrambled States of America" by Laurie Keller, we'll explore books at different reading levels for all 50 states! We'll discuss books, agriculture and  existing activities that will provide science and literacy links to existing 'State Reports'. Join the discussion by bringing the title of your favorite state books that link to agriculture! Presented in 2010 at the National AITC Conference, this program focused on 12 states representing various regions.  There was a call to find a book for every state, at various grade levels. While not meant to be an inclusive list, we have worked to find books that represent or are set in all 50 states and have a link to agriculture. This can be used immediately by teachers to complement state report activities. This session is designed for teachers as well as staff and volunteers looking for a program to link Language, Social Studies, Science and Agriculture!

W08   Invasive Species in Your Classroom: A New Twist on the Old Standards

Applicable Grade Levels: K-12

Applicable Subject Areas: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Environmental Science, Health, Ag Ed, Ecology, Biology, Math

Betty Wolanyk, Lisa Gaskalla, Stephanie Stocks, Florida Agriculture in the Classroom and Protect U.S.

Florida Agriculture in the Classroom and Protect U.S. have developed a series of lesson plans focusing on the effects of invasive diseases and pests to agriculture, livestock health, natural ecosystems, and human health. These lesson plans include historical examples, modern case studies, and future concerns. Join us to see how invasive species apply to all the standards. Free educational material will be distributed during the workshop. The lessons include activities for the students and PowerPoint presentations for the teachers (including background information). The workshop itself is designed for both classroom teachers and those who teach classroom teachers.

W09   Being a Friendly Farmer

Applicable Grade Levels: K-5

Applicable Subject Areas: All

Nichelle and Tim Stewart, Cherokee County Farm Bureau, Georgia

Farmers want people to understand our industry, but sometimes it is hard to know where to begin. We'll relay our experience to help everyone know how to use their local farmers, chefs, master gardeners, county Farm Bureaus and other resources effectively in the classroom. There are many educational and “cool” things (and people) we bring into our local schools and we want to help others do the same. We have state standards-matched projects at each grade level for the local elementary school we adopted. In addition to classroom projects, we also tie activities to our farm.  For example, we choose a grade to “sharecrop” our figs. We have farm camps that are open to students and their families.Our presentation includes PowerPoint, handouts and lecture.

WORKSHOPS
AFTERNOON SESSION
Wednesday, June 20 3:20 pm-4:50 pm
W21   Agvocacy and Agricultural Literacy: Tools You Can Use

Applicable Grade Levels: K-12

Applicable Subject Areas: Math, Science, Social Science, Language Arts, History, Nutrition

Ellen Hellerich, American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture

The American Farm Bureau Foundation has new tools to explore including, Food and Farm Facts and grade specific educator bundles, the free and newly updated My American Farm online game and educator and family resources, 2012 "Book of the Year" and Accurate Ag Books Program Educator Bundles and Agriculture's Lasting Heritage a century farm e-learning school or community resource. You will be sure to leave this workshop motivated, excited and equipped with new ideas, funding opportunities and access to tools you can use in your school or community. We will focus on hands-on, standard-based resources which will help you create a base of knowledge to build upon and begin a dialogue with students and their families about where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture.

W22   Bringing Biotech to the Classroom: The Quest for Better Wheat

Applicable Grade Levels: Middle school

Applicable Subject Areas: Biology, Biotechnology, Agriculture, Ecology

Patrick Byrne and Tori Vladez, Colorado State University

Designed for middle school teachers to show how modern scientific methods are being applied to crop plants for societal benefit and how exciting careers in agricultural and food science are available, even for students who don’t grow up on a farm. We hope that attendees will take away a better understanding of the science that underlies the food supply and how they might incorporate wheat breeding examples into their classrooms. Specifically we will demonstrate how biotechnology is being used to improve wheat varieties for Russian wheat aphid resistance, reduced plant height, and bread making quality. This is not about genetic engineering, but the use of DNA profiles of wheat plants together with field data to select the best plants to release as varieties for farmers to grow. We will demonstrate and explain the relevant techniques and present an exercise in DNA data analysis.

W23   AgriCULTURE

Applicable Grade Levels: Middle through High School

Applicable Subject Areas: Agriculture, History, Geography, Economics, Math

Dr. Kammie Richter, OCUSD #76, Illinois

Take your students on a virtual trip around the globe, and discern cultural differences concerning food and fiber needs and wants.  Interdisciplinary hands-on lessons focus on geography, history, and economics, agricultural commodities, and cultural history including societal pressure. Lessons are geared towards middle school and high school.  Presentation data is based on the books, Material World, What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets, Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, and What the World Eats by authors Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio. Everyone can benefit from this session as it incorporates virtual worldwide travel with basic needs and wants of those living on planet earth. Session objectives include identifying distinguishing characteristics of other cultures worldwide as it compares and contrasts to the daily life of students in America through selection of countries of interest, interpretation of needs and wants in the photos, relating to specific cultures, and a justification of conclusions.

W24   Rangelands: Getting to Know the Pieces of the Puzzle

Applicable Grade Levels: K-8th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art

Lorri Brenneman, Montana Department of Agriculture and Agriculture in Montana Schools

Rangelands cover over 770 million acres of the United States with 53% of all land west of the Mississippi being rangeland. Rangeland uses and management are under increasing pressure from diversified groups. This workshop will educate teachers on accurate agriculture facts about ranchers who use the rangeland and on shared uses of rangelands by diversified groups such as fishermen, hikers, and hunters.  The workshop will also focus on rangeland management and noxious weed management. K-8 teachers of science, math, reading, language arts, social studies, and art who want to know more about ecosystems will benefit from this workshop. Recommended reading for students, rangeland history including that of Native Americans, and science experiments on grazing and knowledge of noxious weeds will be covered. Attendees will leave the workshop with a comprehensive unit on rangelands for their school, complete with posters and visual aids.

W25   GAME. Grow. Ask. Move. Eat

Applicable Grade Levels: K-12

Applicable Subject Areas: Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Nutrition/Heath, Physical Education

Rose Judd-Murray and Cynthia Domenghini, National Gardening Association Educational Specialists

Getting youth, especially tweens and teenagers, to come and work in the garden means that it has to be fun, motivating and engaging—it means you’re going to need a “GAME” plan. Grow. Ask. Move. Eat or GAME is an interactive workshop designed to demonstrate a variety of tools and techniques that will engage and motivate students to work hard, be informed and have fun in the garden. Workshop participants will receive hands-on instruction related to GAME, each will get an activity packet with four standards-based lesson plans and additional resources. GAME participants will join in cooperative activities which provide direction in getting students involved in growing fruits and vegetables; teaching students how to ask questions and determine the answers; leading students to the discovery of which types of physical activity they enjoy the most; and instructing students in the importance of eating a healthy and balanced diet. Most importantly, the principles of GAME are centered upon getting work done in the garden—planting seeds, pulling weeds, turning compost, pushing wheelbarrows and keeping the garden productive and beautiful. This is an ideal workshop for educators who need to make working in the garden efficient, effective, and meaningful for students.

W26   Super Soybeans and Service Learning

Applicable Grade Levels: K-5th

Applicable Subject Areas: English, Science, Social Studies

Sheryl Solomonson and Tracy Mulliken, Rock Island County Agriculture in the Classroom

This presentation will feature highlights from our local Extension Horticulture Outreach program. We will feature a range of the activities we offer to classrooms and during workshops that could offer service learning opportunities, character counts concepts, and possible fundraising opportunities for a classroom or school organization. Activities connect to agriculture or horticulture through topics such as soybeans and corn or through “horticultural holidays” such as May Day and Groundhog’s Day. Activities easily incorporate into classroom work.

W27   Animals in the Classroom

Applicable Grade Levels: 6th-12th

Applicable Subject Areas: Agriculture, Agriscience, Science, Social Studies

Rod Wenzel, Project Food, Land & People

This workshop will overview the topics, objectives, activities and teaching strategies for lessons about animal agriculture. The lesson frameworks were developed during an “Advancing Animal Agriculture Initiative” workshop conducted by Project Food, Land & People in 2011 that included animal experts and selected educators from throughout the United States. The lessons focus on farm animals and emphasize nutrition, food safety, animal safety and movement, genetics, and food consumption and digestion. The lessons are geared to dispelling misconceptions, misinformation and falsehoods being introduced to students by such advocacy groups as PETA and HSUS. The lessons promote effective teaching of animal agriculture to students at an age when students are making a lot of their own choices about what to eat and what makes for a wholesome diet. Teachers of all grades will be able to learn from and apply the lessons to their classrooms. Program directors and proponents of farming and food production are also a primary audience.

W28   Pesticide Web Quests

Applicable Grade Levels: 7th-12th and Adult

Applicable Subject Areas: Health, Science, Social Studies, Environmental Science

Betty Wolanyk and Tad Duncan, National Agriculture in the Classroom

There is misunderstanding and misinformation about pests, pest control, organic food production, natural pesticides, and environmental impact of pesticide use. Betty Wolanyk, Ag Literacy Works, has developed three Web Quests about pests and pesticides for students in grades 6-12. The first Web Quest interests students and their teachers in what pests are, the damage they cause, why we need to control them and the technologies available to control them. The second Web Quest addresses the issue of safety and risks, the pesticide development process, regulation, labeling and the stewardship of proper use that is in place to protect the user, the consumer and the environment. The third Web Quest addresses issues and misunderstandings about pest control, organics and biopesticides. The development and use of these Web Quests is to help students explore the science and structure in place to control pests in a responsible manner.

W29   Start Farmin' Life-sized Agriculture Education Board Game

Applicable Grade Levels: 1st-12th

Applicable Subject Areas: Health and Nutrition, Science, Agriscience, History, Reading

Arlette Roberge, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

This life-sized board game is designed to teach students the modern-day complexities facing our farmers through a fun and an interactive learning experience. Questions can be modified to accommodate first grade to high school. Students move forward or backward based on positive or negative circumstances that increase or decrease a farmer’s chances of producing a successful crop. By answering questions on a variety of agriculture topics, students may earn additional turns. Students can play separately or on teams. The interchangeable game squares allow modification for many classroom settings. Agriscience teachers, commodity group members, nutrition education professionals, Agriculture in the Classroom directors or volunteers, Farm Bureau Representatives or volunteers will benefit from this session.


MINI-WORKSHOPS
MORNING SESSION
Wednesday, June 20 11:20 am-12:05 pm
M01   Animal Care Awareness

Applicable Grade Levels: 6th-7th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Fundamentals of Agriculture, English, Math

Emilie Kuhn, Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc.

Young people benefit from understanding how and why farmers do certain things to care for their animals. This presentation will cover basic animal care (water, food, shelter), safety and identification, and the purpose of raising livestock. These topics will be covered by doing various activities and simulations with attendees.

M02   What's Really Going on Down on the Farm

Applicable Grade Levels: K-5th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Social Studies

David Pippin, Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom

Come experience Virginia AITC’s latest resource – the “What’s Really Going on Down on the Farm?” unit. Using an image of the farm as a starting point, participants will delve into the environmental and scientific issues taking place behind the scenes. Topics covered include best management practices, water quality, animal care, and soil. Elementary teachers as well as volunteers will gain new tools to teach children about how farmers care for the environment. Participants will take part in selected activities from the unit that will reinforce the core content areas of science and social studies. In addition to workshop demonstrations and make-and-takes, participants will also receive a complete copy of the poster and unit.

M03   Conservation Classroom

Applicable Grade Levels: K-12th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science

Mitzi Dohrman and Lynda Danos, Vermilion Soil and Water Conservation District and Louisiana Ag in the Classroom

The Conservation Classroom is a mobile learning unit that broadens conservation knowledge and agricultural literacy. It won a 2011 Agriculture in the Classroom Enrichment Grant (ACE). Housed in a 40-foot gooseneck trailer complete with electrical functions, the conservation classroom focuses on six areas: soil, water, air, plants, animals and recycling.  Each of the areas has an interactive station within the trailer. This presentation will explain the concept of the project, how funding for the project was achieved and the partnerships that have been successfully achieved through the process. The educator’s guide being developed will be shared. Information on scheduling procedures and tracking will also be detailed for those who may wish to implement this project. This session is for anyone who wishes to educate the public on all of our natural and renewable resources. Information will be provided that will benefit teachers, state contacts and Ag Literacy volunteers. While the main focus of the Conservation Classroom is 4th and 5th graders, it can also be used with other grade levels and the general public.  

M04   Utilization of Ag in the Classroom for a School-wide Focus

Applicable Grade Levels: K-5th

Applicable Subject Areas: All

Jan Hill and Brenda Overby, Forest Avenue Academic Magnet Elementary, Alabama

Forest Avenue Academic Magnet embraced the Ag in the Classroom focus during the 2010-2011 school year for the first time. Each grade level (K-5) adopted a commodity on which to focus. A large map was painted on a wall in a hallway with the top three commodities for each state coded to pictures of the commodities on the wall. Students learned map skills, using a map key and important commodities for each state through an "Ag Question of the Day".  During the month of October, each grade level planned special activities and field trips focusing on their commodity. Participants will receive handouts and view a PowerPoint presentation explaining other aspects of the focus and how this was done. This will be of special interest to school administrators and lead teachers who can plan activities on a school wide basis. Teachers will benefit by learning how our teachers embraced their commodities and integrated the learning into their curriculum.

M05   A Cornucopia of Activities from Corn to Caterpillars

Applicable Grade Levels: All

Applicable Subject Areas: Agricultural Science, Entomology, Botany, Environmental

Craig Wilson, USDA,HSINP

Handle the insect and learn how to have your students grow the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), collect and interpret data on its life cycle. FREE class sets of insects ordered on-line at: http://www.hsi.usda.gov/CornEarWorm/ An inexpensive digital microscope will be used to show how technology can be incorporated in instruction to engage students. Examples of student work will be shared. Ideal projects for science fairs. Also covered: food chains/webs; bats; and corn to ethanol production as impacted by the $1 Billion annual damage/control efforts as a result of this insect. Workshop activities range from plant-animal-space science all linked to National and State Standards. Links to USDA/Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research scientists provided.  There are over 100 of these federal research labs nationwide that want to have educational outreach and to engage with teachers.  Free book on bats provided and free magazine subscription to Agricultural Research.

M06   "These Healthy Farms"

Applicable Grade Levels: K-3rd

Applicable Subject Areas: Reading, Health, Science

Arlette Roberge, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

“These Healthy Farms,” is the 3rd in the Florida Agriculture Literacy Day book series produced with Florida Agriculture in the Classroom. Through “These Healthy Farms,” students learn how the food grown or raised on Florida’s farms contributes to their health, growth and mental alertness. They also learn how farmers are contributing to school lunches with fresh produce, dairy products and more. The presenter will discuss how agriculture education outreach efforts can be broadened by collaborating with agencies or organizations with similar goals. Agriculture in the Classroom Directors, Farm Bureau Representatives and other agriculture education communication professionals can all benefit from the effectiveness of collaboration on similar projects.

M07   Soil to Spoon

Applicable Grade Levels: K-8th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Language Arts, Math

Susan Schultz, National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD)

Where does your food come from?  This is a question for which many people don’t have an answer. You'll discover education material designed to make the connection to food sources in this session. It will also add in one important food ingredient sometimes not thought about – soil. Participants will enjoy activities that they can share with students and make connections to myplate.gov nutrition information. Ideas for exhibits and field day presentations will be shared. This session will be of interest to formal and non-formal educators working to make the connection to where food comes from, nutrition and the importance of soil to students and adults. Presentation ideas will be available for classroom or field day programs along with great materials for teacher workshops or outreach to communities. Ideas for exhibits at local library, county fair or other sites will be presented.

M08   Barnyard Banter

Applicable Grade Levels: Elementary

Applicable Subject Areas: Language Arts

Tammy Maxey, Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom

Strut your readers around the barnyard with lessons and activities about AITC’s favorite books.  Come see the latest curriculum "Barnyard Banter: A Literacy Connection." Learn about the best titles teaching about agriculture. See what new activities have our feathers ruffled. This presentation features highly interactive hands-on activities which will excite your most apprehensive reader. Elementary teachers and volunteers will have the opportunity to review new pieces of literature which teach where food comes from, how the soil is prepared, and the various jobs of a farmer. Activities are easily replicable across the US. Core curriculum concepts for language arts, social studies, and mathematics are reinforced through reading activities.

M09   Agriculture in the West

Applicable Grade Levels: Middle and High School

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Social Studies

Monica Pastor, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Maricopa County

Irrigation, laser leveled fields, precision agriculture, grazing fees, large scale farms, dairies and feedlots as well as niche marketing are all conventional agriculture methods in the west. Learn about various aspects of farming and ranching from an Arizona perspective. Family operations can be 9 acres of okra or 5000 milk cows. Use this knowledge when teaching your students about economics, geography, government policies and science. Welcome to the west and all its interesting methods to produce a commodity. Agriculture can look very different from what you are used to in your home state.


MINI-WORKSHOPS
AFTERNOON SESSION
Wednesday, June 20 2:15 pm-3:00 pm
M21   The Scoop on Poop: This Workshop Really STINKS!

Applicable Grade Levels: Adaptable to any grade level

Applicable Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary

Staci Disney-Walker, Vermilion County Farm Bureau, Illinois

Get ready to get down and dirty as we discuss the backside of agriculture, literally. Learn how farm animals digest their food, what the difference is between a monogastric and ruminant animal and what farmers do with animal manure. Filled with piles of information on scat and fascinating facts on feces this workshop will be interesting, gross and funny as we take a look at agriculture's underrated, unmentionable by-product. This lesson provides information for anyone teaching a lesson on livestock production. Students will learn the major process of digestion, the difference between monogastric and ruminant animals, and the basic anatomy of the different digestive systems. Participants will also learn about waste management, the many uses for manure and the positive environmental impact of animal agriculture.

M22   Marvelous Mondays: What A Way to Kick Off Your Week

Applicable Grade Levels: PreK-2nd

Applicable Subject Areas: Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science

Kevin Daugherty, Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom

Get a jump start to your week with hands-on activities and lessons! This session features 30 weeks of ideas! Join us as we pair books and activities with Ag in the Classroom resources sure to start your week off right! Our fun, ready-to-use activities pairing commonly used curricular themes as well as agriculture themes will brighten your Mondays! Designed for Pre-K to 2nd and a way to 'step away' from a 'Farm Unit' and instead incorporate agriculture year round. This lesson booklet pairs agriculture activities with commonly utilized curricular themes relevant at the Pre-K to early elementary levels such as accepting differences, emotions and weather...all while giving them an ag twist. A great way to see how agriculture can be incorporated year round!

M23   Onions Have Layers

Applicable Grade Levels: 4th-6th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Math, Reading/Writing, Health, Language Arts, Social Studies

Kimberly Reddin, National Onion Association

Onions Have Layers was written to help create a better understanding of where food comes from and the nutritional importance of fresh produce. Included with each lesson are correlating materials. Come see how an onion can help educators lead their students to grow a deeper understanding of plant development, make a recipe with a pound of math for good measure, discover how onions played a role in history and literature and understand consumer marketing, the judicial process and more. This series of lesson plans is designed to provide a cross-curricular experience to expand awareness and appreciation of the botanical complexity and nutritional benefits of onions along with their role in American history and literature. Easily adaptable for higher grade levels. Hands-on activities and PowerPoint/Keynote presentation round out this presentation.

M24   The Almost Everything of Soils

Applicable Grade Levels: 2nd-12th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Soils

David Dearstyne, USDA-NRCA

This workshop will deal with soil, the importance of soil as a vital, often under-valued natural resource, and how to present, explain, and show the soily-facts to youth of all ages from 6 to 106! This presentation will involve the use of game playing, racing, hands-on demonstrations, illustrations, and interactive dialogue to keep, hold, and amplify the student-teacher experience while exploring the seldom-visited world of soil. Discussion will include important soil properties, qualities, soil health and how these soil "things" impact every day life. Additional resources will be available.

M25   Agriculture Meets MLB: Target Field, Home of the Minnesota Twins

Applicable Grade Levels: All

Applicable Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary

James Graff, Graff's Turf Farms, Inc.

The 2010 home opener for the Minnesota Twins not only included the unveiling of a state-of-the-art facility, but something the fans hadn’t seen for three decades – natural grass. An overview of the production, harvesting, shipping and installation will be presented on the turf that was grown in Colorado for Target Field and the Twins. We may go outdoors and wiggle our toes in the grass while seeing turf samples, grass seeds and sprouts. We are taking agriculture out of the box to show you that it's more than crops and livestock. Teachers will be able to share with students an appreciation of the science and processes it takes to grow the grass under their feet. We will present career opportunities as we explore soil, seed, water and nutrients and examine the technology available today.

M26   Farms, Food & FUN! Teaching Agriculture Through Music, Movement & More!

Applicable Grade Levels: Adaptable to any

Applicable Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary

KJ Reimensnyder-Wagner, KJSmile, Inc.

Easily-learned  and useful songs, chants, and active audience-participation lessons are included in this high-energy workshop...featuring smart eating and physical activity, key topics today, taught in non-conventional ways. Teachable songs include parts and usage of a mushroom, the anatomy of cows, the importance of farm preservation and much more. This workshop examines learning styles. In re-thinking techniques, teachers will learn take-away skills to use immediately in the classroom. KJ will encourage light-hearted ways of teaching even the toughest lesson plans through rhyming, chants, hand-motion songs and soft rap that will be easily remembered for years to come. These “Tool Time” techniques encourage “fun education” tailored for teachers in elementary school through high school.

M27   "Where's Iowa?"

Applicable Grade Levels: 4th-6th

Applicable Subject Areas: Social Studies, Reading, Math, Art

Andrea "Andy" Bean, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Agriculture in the Classroom

This presentation is a four unit Iowa theme based curriculum that engages in the information literacy process; to access, evaluate and communicate information and ideas. With its hands-on, fun and engaging interactive approach reading, math, art, social studies national core curricula are all included. "Where’s Iowa” is an AITC spin off of "Where’s Waldo". Each state plays their part in the U.S. agricultural picture. Some of this is general agricultural information that applies to all states: size of an acre, what’s a bushel, how we measure agricultural product. With little effort this informative presentation can work with a respective state by using their state symbols, agricultural products, weather, etc. This presentation is for 4-6 grade where Iowa as a state is studied. Each of the four units within “Where’s Iowa” comes with materials needed, information resources, and how it fits into the national core curriculum.

M28   Chemistry, Fertilizer and the Environment

Applicable Grade Levels: 8th-12th

Applicable Subject Areas: Science, Math

Jenna Swenson, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom

This workshop will provide teachers with ideas for using chemistry concepts to teach fertilizer and environmental education through hands-on activities and real-life examples. Participants will be able to experience or learn about activities that focus on plant nutrient requirements, water and soil quality testing and environmental stewardship. Ideas and activities are highlighted from the newly developed unit by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom about Chemistry, Fertilizer and the Environment. Educators, AITC state contacts, and administrators alike will be able to experience this resource and then teach students to create a greater knowledge base about plant nutrients, fertilizer use practices, and the care that goes into producing our abundant food supply. Lessons, ideas and activities will reinforce traditional academic knowledge and skills through chemistry, environmental education, writing skills, and mathematics. This workshop will provide a significant educational resource for all who are curious about the science and technology behind agriculture production.

M29   The "Grit" in the Nitty Gritty of Gardening

Applicable Grade Levels: PreK-5th

Applicable Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary

Kristy Chastine and Tanna Nicely, Tennessee Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom

You’re starting a garden! You have administrative approval, community support, financial resources, and cross-curricular activities to meet state standards. NOW… where do I begin? There are so many options, what do I choose? Garden themes…pizza, salsa, fairy tale, or nursery rhyme? Raised bed or container garden…location, materials, which season: Spring or Fall? Drainage considerations….summer schedule for watering? Details, details!!! Get the “nitty gritty” on planning and constructing your garden. Come away with ideas and a take home container garden activity. Gardening is an excellent tool for teaching all subject areas through hands-on activities while also teaching healthy, nutritious food choices. This session is for the educator who has an outdoor garden, inside garden, or simply dreams of having a garden. This workshop will offer suggestions for all types of situations.

WORKSHOPS-ON-WHEELS
TOURS

Thursday, June 21
Board buses 7:45-8:45 am. Tours depart beginning at 8:00 am.
Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 1
Horticulture / Greenhouses

Horticulture ventures and greenhouses are flourishing in Colorado. This tour will visit two owner-operated greenhouses fulfilling different niches. Both began as backyard hobbies that bloomed into two of the mainstay greenhouses in the Fort Collins area. JORDAN'S FLORAL start was offering tomato plants to the public. They expanded to carnations and then evolved into "the" greenhouse for roses. Today they raise cut flowers and provide annuals and perennials for gardeners and are acclaimed for their hanging baskets. GULLIES GREENHOUSE owners, both horticulturists, took their initial steps with backyard growths of Blue Spruce trees and columbines (Colorado's state flower). They moved their grow-site to a location between Fort Collins and Loveland. In addition to retail sales from their site, they supply wholesale perennials, herbs, annuals and roses. How do greenhouse growers know what will grow well in the area? They participate in and rely on the results of the COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FLOWER TRIAL GARDENS. These research and display gardens include more than 1,200 varieties of flowers developed by seed and vegetative companies around the world. Plants are entered for evaluation under Colorado's extreme climatic conditions to be judged on plant performance in the landscape. Both annuals and perennials are grown and results are public information.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 2
Water in the West
Water managers, users, researchers and educators will greet us as we encounter the geographical and climate challenges presented by Colorado. This circle tour (kind of like a pivot-irrigation system) will begin in Berthoud at the NORTHERN COLORADO WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT (NCWCD) site. NCWCD was created in 1937 to provide water for agricultural, municpal, domestic and industrial uses in northeastern Colorado. We'll learn how water is moved from the western slope for use on the front range. We'll see part of the Colorado-Big Thompson project that carries water to among other storage facilities, HORSETOOTH RESERVOIR. Horsetooth Reservoir is 6-1/2 miles long and sits at an elevation just over a mile high. It not only holds water for distribution throughout northeastern Colorado, it is a destination for recreational users: boating, fishing, water-skiing, camping. Next stop is Colorado State University's AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION CENTER (ARDEC). Soils, crop and water research scientists share the facility. We'll learn about the hands-on learning and research projects. We will arc over to SIEBRING PONDS near Greeley. The former gravel pit is the world's first slurry wall-lined storage reservoir. The unique lining, made from bentonnite clay, is a technology now being used around the world. At the same location is the interdisciplinary learning facility POUDRE LEARNING CENTER (PLC). PLC focuses on the importance of history, science, economics, stewardship and aesthetics of the Cache la Poudre River and northeastern Colorado.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 3
Animal Agriculture
“with a baa baa here and a baa baa there...”
The stops on this tour are way past Ol’ MacDonald’s farm. The DOUBLE J SHEEP and DOUBLE J MEAT PROCESSING companies are owned by the Hasbrouck family in Ault and Pierce, Colorado. The original family farm has grown to include an 8,000 head all-natural commercial cattle feedlot, a 60,000 head all-natural commercial lamb feedlot, a class 1 composting site and the custom kill meat packing plant. The family also raises corn and hay for the company feedlots. We’ll tour the operation and learn the challenges and rewards of animal agriculture. Then we’re off to Kersey, which is east of Greeley and near the South Platte River. The JBS FIVE RIVERS RANCH CATTLE FEEDING company is one of the most state-of-the-industry feedyards in existence. The feedlot feeds 100,000-head of cattle at any one time. A new mill processes and mixes the feed to allow delivering a finished ration to the cattle. Pens were remodeled to improve drainage and provide comfort for the cattle. We’ll see Temple-Grandin styled working pens. You’ll be impressed with the functional, albeit experimental, shade and windbreak system which is just one of the state-of-the-art environmental management practices implemented on the site. We’ll learn about manure management on a large scale, retention ponds and efficient water usage and recylcing. Future upgrades include a gasification plant in which manure will be processed to provide power to the feedmill.
Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 4
Horsing Around Equine Tour
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND TEACHING HOSPITAL located in Fort Collins, has been a preeminent institution on the cutting edge of research, identification, and treatment of diseases effecting animals. This tour will concentrate on the institution’s world famous equine program, including reproduction, lameness, medical treatment, and research. Horses have been and are an integral part of agriculture in the west, both as useful partners in handling livestock, and as consumers of hay and other grains. Next stop is the CSU EQUINE SCIENCES facility at the Foothills Campus on the west side of Fort Collins. State-of-the-art facilities host more than 27 equine-specific classes offered through the Equine Sciences program including disease management, event management, foaling management, therapeutic riding, nutrition, behavior, reproduction, genetics and evaluation (judging). From the land-grant university we’ll gallop over to visit VISTA EQUINE near Windsor. The focal point of Vista Equine is equine embryo transfer. We’ll learn about the strict standards and mare care that allow Vista Equine to back all of their Embryo Transfer procedures with a live foal guarantee. Resident veterinarians combine numerous years of experience to world-wide clientele. There will be mamas and babies on site.


Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 5
AgriTourism
Some of our farms and ranches have metamorphized from being strictly working farms and ranches into public destination sites using their agricultural heritage to educate, entertain and generate an income. Agritourism businesses are great resources for keeping people in touch with our agricultural roots. The BEE FAMILY CENTENNIAL FARM MUSEUM is the historic preservation of an original homestead maintained as an active family farm since 1894. It is a designated a “Centennial Farm” by the State of Colorado Department of Agriculture and the Colorado Historical Society. In 2002, the farm was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic farm’s Museum features artifacts including farming equipment, cars, wagons, living necessities, letters, diaries and pictures. The homesteads have been organized and preserved to let us walk among machinery, milk barn, horse barn and live animals. We’ll move north toward Wyoming to TERRY BISON RANCH. This is an opportunity to get up close and personal to the “great North American Bison.” This stop will include a burger fry at the ranch and a ride on the Terry Town Xpress which was created to be an efficient way for guests to see the bison. The trains run on a standard gauge track and cross the Colorado/Wyoming border during the tour. We’ll head south from here to visit HARVEST FARM. This 209-acre farm is a rehabilitation center for men operating in conjunction with the Denver Rescue Mission. The Farm provides, among other things, work therapy for residents. Farm production includes pinto beans, sugar beets, silage corn, and produce crops. Livestock includes pigs, cattle, and sheep. We'll tour the gardens and greenhouses and take a hayride tour around the farm.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 6
Organic Farming & Research
It all starts with knowing what to do to get dirt to provide a bountiful harvest.
We'll start with Colorado State University’s AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION CENTER (ARDEC). We’ll learn how ARDEC evolved to embrace soils, crop and water research. We'll see both the Plant Sciences facility and the Animal Sciences facility. We’ll get a behind the scenes look at the CSU Foundation Seed processing plant and learn how seeds become certified in the state, nationally and internationally. We’ll literally do some field trips here to see the wheat and bean crops. We’ve got our dirt and we’ve got our seeds...let’s explore what it takes to be organic. We’ll get some answers from GRANT FAMILY FARMS. Grant Family Farms lies in the foothills of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The family decided to go organic 35 years ago. The farm grows over 150 varieties of vegetables and 34 varieties of heirloom beans and corn. The farm also raises chickens for eggs and meat, sheep, turkey, duck, goose, goat and hogs. All organic. Next up is CSU CSA/SPECIALTY CROP RESEARCH. This farm is tended by CSU students. The Specialty Crops Program at Colorado State University initiated a campus CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in 2005. The CSU CSA provides members a wide variety of local organic produce. The Specialty Crops Program helps growers master production systems, and explore and develop market opportunities for their specialty crops. Included in this class of specialty crops are vegetable, nursery, fruit, turf, ornamental, fiber, and herbs.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 7
Greenhouse to Hen House
We’ll being this tour ourdoors at the NORTHERN COLORADO WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT GARDENS. There are more than 700 plants and 60 turf grasses that thrive in Colorado’s arid climate. Each area within the garden is labeled to provide information on using these plants to save water in landscapes. There are soil and irrigation technology demonstration areas and the Xeriscape plaza has eight “Colorado friendly” and water-wise landscapes. Next up is BOULDER FRESH TOMATO GREENHOUSE specializing in hydroponic tomatoes. Additional vegetables and herbs are grown both in greenhouses and in the field. Boulder Fresh grows everything on site, from seed, and its produce is free of pesticides and herbicides. It utilizes natural, sustainable practices including integrated pest management, crop rotation, companion planting and drip irrigation. Did you hear a cluck? It’s the chickens at the egg farm! HILLSIDE EGG FARM is located south of Longmont. It was one of the first egg farms in the United States to go to a cage free system for raising eggs. They adopted the design of a Dutch company called Vencomatic. This system allows the farm to have a cage free facility that can be as efficient as a caged operation. We’ll learn how this system handles egg laying and collection and how the operator feeds “the girls”. We’ll see what resources are needed to run this remarkable egg farm.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 8
Veggies!
Our Growing Vegetables tour will visit four farms: Fagerbergers Farm, Petrocco Farms, Sakata Farms and Berry Patch Farms. No matter where you call home, you very well may have already tasted produce grown by one or all four of these Colorado companies. FAGERBERGERS FARM is a renown onion grower and distributor. We’ll learn how a young man from Sweden homesteaded in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. PETROCCO FARMS is a family owned and operated produce business. They’ve been growing fresh vegetables since 1916 near Brighton, Colorado, Their nationwide distribution list of vegetables includes Leaf Lettuce, Cabbage, Leafy Greens, Green Beans and dry Onions. SAKATA FARMS owners have been hailed by the state of Colorado for their farming and for their involvement in helping maintain the strength of the state’s agriculture industry. Sakata Farms is one of the top 100 vegetable growers in the US. BERRY PATCH FARMS is certified organic by the USDA. The pick-your-own farm sits on 40 acres.
Hmm, I wonder what we’ll have for lunch on this tour? A salad no-doubt with a fruit side dish?

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 9
Udderly Amazing Milk and Egg Tour
COZY COW DAIRY is a local family-owned dairy farm tucked into the base of the front-range mountains. Cozy Cow retails ice cream and dairy products...let’s talk fresh. We’ll visit the cows who make the retail store possible. Cows do eat. They eat corn. They’ll have to wait to munch on the Fritzler corn until the season of corn mazes is over. FRITZLERS CORN MAZE is Colorado's premier corn maze. You’ll see that this farm offers bushels of farmtastic fun! We’ll visit Colorado family-owned MORNING FRESH FARMS to learn about a small but vibrant industry in our state. We’re proud to include Morning Fresh Farms and their commitment to their hens and their products. They care about the environment and their community. Morning Fresh uses both conventional and cage-free systems. We’ll conclude the tour after our stop at BELLA DAIRY and its 2,200 milking cows. Learn about milk metering, pedometers, complete synchronization, and a complete testing protocol for all known cattle diseases. The farm also has its own on-site veterinarian and is extremely progressive in adapting new practices.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 10
  The Plains' Facts

Over 75 percent of the U.S. population enjoys Leprino Foods cheese every year, and the largest food and restaurant companies in the world get their cheese from Leprino. Pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, string cheese, tacos, mozzarella sticks, the list goes on and on. Leprino works with leading milk producers to ensure products are made from the freshest, most wholesome top-grade milk. Mooo-ving on to Quail Ridge Dairy, we are able to visit a state-of-the-art facility designed with cow comfort, employee comfort, and ease of operation at the fore front. The family owned and operated dairy is home to 4000 milking cows. This dairy is a great example of "green" technology -- yes, the poo for growing crops.... and also in recycling water and using feed ingredients cast off by other industries including beer making and ethanol production. The average cow in this dairy gives about 80 pounds of milk a day -- in consumer terms, about 10 gallons per cow per day. Randy and Betsy Graff started Graff's Turf Farm with 120 acres. It has grown to a 440-acre sod farm. Now co-owned by their son James Graff and long time employee Marty Thiel, Graff's Turf Farms remains the front runner in the sod industry, stressing quality, service and customer satisfaction. Graff's Turf Farms implements the latest in equipment and technological advancements to produce top quality sod blends that are rich in color, texture and durability. Graff's Turf Farms Inc. has become an established leader in the sod industry.

Workshop-on-Wheels Tour 11
  The Bolder Plan from Boulder County Tour

2011 was a year in which the Boulder County Commissioners adopted a new Cropland Policy that will govern the types of farming practices that will be used on the 50,000+ acres of land now protected from development by the county.  Tour attendees will visit some very unique farms within the county, learn more about Boulder County’s Open Space program and learn about the future of farming in the county based on the policies approved with the new Cropland Policy. This tour will provide a great opportunity to enjoy the scenic views of the Rocky Mountains that provide the backdrop for Boulder. We'll visit ROCK CREEK FARM (www.rockcreekfarm.com) south of Louisville. This farm is a perfect example of agri-tourism success. OLLIN FARMS (www.ollinfarms.com) is located south of Longmont. This family run farm's goal is to honor the rich agricultural heritage of the area by creating a sustainable future. They are a CSA. West of Longmont is the little town of Lyons. This is where we'll find the craft brewery OSKAR BLUES (www.oskarblues.com/hops-heifers/real-time-farms-visits-hops-and-heifers). Our fourth host for the day will be COORS BREWING – MALTING BARLEY PROGRAM (www.millercoors.com). Boulder County is a unique area in Colorado through which Boulder Creek and the St. Vrain River flow.
 

Contact Information

  • Colorado Foundation for Agriculture

    Mailing address:
    P.O. Box 10
    Livermore, CO 80536

    Phone: 970-881-2902
     
    Email: bblinde@growingyourfuture.com
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