farm pride 2011

Lake Land College,John Deere trainmechanics together

By CHRIS LUSVARDIH&R Staff Writer

Tim Walker of Atwood grewup wanting to farm but hasdiscovered the reality of mak-ing a living doing so is diffi-cult without having a largeamount of land.

Instead of focusing on farm-ing, Walker turned his atten-tion to a unique mechanicaltraining program offered atLake Land College in Mattoon.Walker completed the JohnDeere Ag Tech training pro-gram, a partnership betweenthe global agricultural compa-ny and the college, in May 2010.

He now works for Heath’sInc. in Monticello.

“Unless I win the lottery, Idon’t have the money to beable to go out, buy a bunch ofmachinery and start farming,”Walker said. “It’s the next beststep being able to be aroundthe equipment, play with all ofit and work on it. You don’tneed a million dollars to try tomake a living at it.”

Walker likes the variety ofhis work and having differentpieces of equipment to work on— ranging from tractors, com-bines and planters to mowers.

“Every combine is differentand have similar problemsbut are caused by differentreasons,” Walker said. “It’snot like assembly line workwhere you’re doing absolutelythe exact same thing everyday, all day, day-in day-out,year-round.”

Lake Land has been train-ing technicians for JohnDeere since 1993, instructor

Allen Drake said. Over theyears, it has helped to fill avoid for the company.

While completing the train-ing, students look only at JohnDeere equipment, Drake said.

That’s unlike other programs— even those within the col-lege — that Drake said usevarious brands of equipment.

“Our goal is to train peopleto work for John Deere deal-

ers,” said Drake, who workedfor John Deere dealers for 19years before starting at LakeLand. “We can’t really satisfythat demand. Most of thattime, we were almost alwayslooking for more people towork in the service depart-ment.”

Graduates of the programare able to see a career aheadof them and have an easiertime than most getting started.

“Somebody who is success-ful in this will have a goodsuccessful career,” Drakesaid. “People need to look at

AG TECH/PAGE 5

2 FARM PROGRESS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2011 DECATUR, ILLINOIS www.herald-review.com


Richland Community Col-lege is making steps towardimproving the environmentguided by the principles ofsustainability.

The college has been focus-ing on its sustainabilityefforts since 2007 when itjoined the Association for theAdvancement of Sustainabili-ty in Higher Education, orAASHE. It recently wasawarded a bronze statusthrough the group’s Sustain-ability TrackingAssessment andRating System,or STARS.

The ratingsinclude gold, sil-ver, bronze andparticipant sta-tus.

The idea ofsustainabilitystarts with farm-ers, said GregFlorian, Rich-land’s vice presi-dent of finance.

“Farmers real-ly were the first to be sustain-able,” Florian said. “It’s beenaround to preserve the envi-ronment. We’re going to keepputting it all in place.”

Hosting the Farm ProgressShow is a major way forRichland to show off itsefforts. Since the show waslast in Decatur, the collegehas started to reach out tothe community in other ways.

“We’re already doingthings all over campus,” saidLisa Gregory, chief of stafffor Richland President GayleSaunders. “It’s about learninghow to do things better.”

During the past two grow-ing seasons, Richland hasheld Saturday Produce Mar-kets to provide local growersand students a place to sellfresh products.

The produce used to besold during the lunch hour,said Nancy Sullivan, Rich-land’s network administrator.

“The idea grew to do it forthe community,” Sullivansaid.

The markets fit the sus-tainability model becausefarmers do not need to beburning a lot of fuel to getproducts to consumers, Flori-an said.

A Sustainable Safari pro-gram was organized in Julyfor children ages 5 to 15 tovisit Richland’s farm area tolearn about planting vegeta-bles, recycling and other sus-tainable efforts.

The college hasbecome involvedwith the city’sSustainableDecatur effortaimed at achiev-ing environmen-tal, economic andsocial impacts toimprove the liv-ability and qualityof Decatur.

“A big part ofthat is education,teaching aboutwhat is a sustain-able base tenant,”

Florian said. “Sustainabilitytouches every part of theinstitution. We want to getmore involved with the city tomake the community better.”

Richland administratorswant to integrate sustainabil-ity into all of its classes.Renewable energy subjectssuch as biofuels and windenergy are the easiest placesto start, Sullivan said.

It is discussed in otherclasses, but not always in aformal way, Sullivan said.

“In an economics class,they may talk about it, butwe don’t have it writtendown,” Sullivan said. “It willbe a massive undertaking toidentify all the pieces.”

A sustainability coordina-tor will be hired to weave thevarious pieces together, Flori-an said. He said a jobdescription is being devel-oped for that position.

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Keeping itrunning

Herald & Review photos/Kelly J. Huff

Sloan Implement mechanic Zach Hughes prepares to check the diagnostic codes with his serviceadvice software that can tell him almost anything that is wrong with the tractor’s systems. Hughes is a2008 graduate of Lake Land College’s John Deere Ag Tech training program. TOP: Mechanic CodyBrummet, a 2010 Lake Land graduate, prepares his electrical meter to check and electrical plug underthe hood of a tractor.

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The John Deere Ag Tech pro-gram provides advanced trainingneeded and valued by more than1,500 dealerships across NorthAmerica. The Moline-based com-pany partners with schools,including Lake Land College inMattoon, to provide the training.Requirements include a high

school diploma or equivalent, reg-istering for and meeting all col-lege entrance requirements, find-ing a John Deere dealership to bea sponsor, taking all requiredcourse and laboratory work andmaintaining the required GPA. For more information, visit www.johndeerepowerup.com.

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They say life was better inthe “good old days,” but that’sall relative when it comes tolife in the 4-H Club.

As an advocate of theorganization for more than 60years and a recent inducteeof the 4-H Hall of Fame, say-ing Mary Jo Stewart hasexperienced change would bean understatement.

“I joined 4-H when I was10,” the Decatur woman said.“Back then, all the girls in aprogram learned to do onething, like sewing. We stilllaugh about the elastic waistwe learned to put in skirts.”

Stewart, a Georgetownnative and 4-H member ofVermilion County, recalledusing the material of feedsacks their fathers would givethem as fabric for skirts anddresses. Boys would work onprojects involving small farmanimals, or corn and soy-beans. But gardening was oneof the most prevalent projectsin 4-H at the time.

“Almost every family had agarden,” Stewart said. “Kidswould want to learn how togarden so they could help.”

Despite the organization’sroots in agriculture, whichare partially attributed to theclub’s association with theU.S. Department of Agricul-ture, 4-H has evolved intomuch more. Because theorganization has reached outto more youth in urban areaswho have no agriculturalbackground, they haveapplied a greater focus onleadership, citizenship andcommunication skills.

“There’s more to it thancows, pigs and canning,”Stewart said, with a laugh.

The Moultrie-Douglas 4-HClub has been trying to reachmore children than those whogrow up on a farm, includingby holding the Moultrie Coun-ty Conservation Field Day forfourth-graders in May.

“You don’t have a cow, butyou have a hobby,” said AngieWelker, 4-H community work-er for the University of Illi-nois Extension Coles, Cum-berland, Douglas, Moultrieand Shelby unit. “We try toexpose them to everything.The more you do, the moreyou learn.”

Today’s 4-H Club in MaconCounty shapes its programsaround three mission man-dates: science, engineeringand technology, healthy livingand leadership and citizen-ship.

“4-H meets the needs of thepeople at that time,” saidAmy Leman, 4-H youth devel-opment educator for MaconCounty. “When it was foundedin the early 1900s, agriculturewas the primary way of life.But since society continues tochange, so do the needs of thepeople.”

The science and technology

sector has grown the mostover the years. 4-H plansaccordingly by offering morethan 100 projects that accom-modate children’s growinginterest, including robotics,photography, even globalposition and information sys-tems.

“I had to learn to use acomputer,” Stewart said,recalling her days as anextension educator.

But technology isn’t theonly thing that has changed.While traditional 4-H groupmeetings would be held athome and led by parents,meetings now are held inpublic places such as achurch or the extensionoffice. Projects are workedon at the meetings as well,rather than at homes withfamilies.

“4-H promotes positiveyouth development,” Lemansaid. “What they’re learningin the program is only oneaspect of the experience.”

This does not mean 4-H’sfoundation in agriculture islost. Leman noted the preva-lence of agriculture intoday’s society as childrenlearn about food and nutri-tion — especially in MaconCounty with agriculturalprocessors Archer DanielsMidland Co. and Tate & Lyle,two of the main employers inthe area.

“We remind our childrenthat food does not come froma grocery store,” Leman said.“It comes from a farm. Andthere will always be jobs inthis industry. People willalways need to eat.”

The organization ensures asafe environment, openness,a positive relationship with acaring adult and characterbuilding skills that instills

independence and preparesthem for the future. Theseare the skills that leave alasting impression, said 4-Hvolunteer and U of I Exten-sion intern Cory Washington,who was in the club since hisfreshman year in high school.

“It has opened so manydoors for me since I’ve beeninvolved,” Washington said.“It has truly been a hugeimpact on my life.”

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The role for Macon County 4-H and University of IllinoisExtension volunteers hasexpanded since the FarmProgress Show has been inDecatur. The organization had agroup of volunteers helping outat the shows in 2005 and 2007.At the 2009 show, it took over allaspects of one food court at theevent, preparing to serve anestimated 20,000 people overthe three days of the show. It ispreparing for the same job atthis year’s event.

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Mary Jo Stewart has seen many changes over the past 60 years asan advocate for 4-H program. She wrote the history of the 4-Hcamp in Piatt County and recently was inducted into 4-H Hall ofFame.

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Seed salesmen work continuespast planting


Each year, farmer CraigMoore wants to improveyields on the crops he growsnear his Niantic home.

Finding the best way to doso requires taking time toresearch and consult withthose he has grown to trust.Picking the right seed is one ofthe first and most importantdecisions Moore can make.

“There’s your dollars andcents, your net profit,” Mooresaid. “I want to plant vari-eties to diversify the risk.Once you see it’s going to begood, you want to push it.”

Moore’s work doesn’t stoponce the seed is in the ground.

He must keep an eye on howthe crops are growing and hav-ing extra sets of eyes can help.

Moore scouted some of his

fields for any developing prob-lems during an early Augustvisit with DeKalb corn brandterritory sales manager Jeff

Brown. With hot and dryweather this summer, theyseemed somewhat disappointedin what they were finding withindications pointing towardlower than normal yields.

With years of experiencebetween them, they knowthings could still recoverbefore it comes time for har-vest. In any case, Mooreappreciates the knowledgeBrown brings with him.

“Trust is a big thing,” Mooresaid. “He’s not just a seedsalesman. He’s not going tosteer me in the wrong direc-tion.”

Brown knows his job goesbeyond selling a bag of seed.

“It’s servicing and knowingproducts,” Brown said. “Wewant to get the right producton the right farm.”

Working for Monsanto Co.,Brown has a large team ofexperts at his disposal. Evenstanding in the middle of a

corn field, finding the rightperson in the network to helpis just a few clicks away.

“I can take a picture andsend it,” Brown said. “It’s justgoing to get faster. The thing iswe’ve got to keep up with it.”

Moore said he uses theInternet and social mediasites, including Twitter, toreceive information while heis in the field. It has changedhow he does business.

As a result, companies arerealizing they need to findnew ways to provide cus-tomers with the informationthey rely upon.

DeKalb uses a text messag-ing service and plans tolaunch a mobile website thathelps to show more informa-tion specific to a local area,said Jason Hoag, DeKalbmarketing manager.

“Seed companies often liketo communicate performanceinformation at a national

level, but as a farmer, I wantto know what’s going on inmy particular county,” Hoagsaid. “I want to know what’sgoing on in Macon County.”

The DeKalb brand has beenin development for the past100 years. It was started by asmall group of farmers andlocal businessmen fromDeKalb in 1912, Hoag said.

After starting in the north-ern part of the state, Illinoishas continued to be a goodmarket with a steady level ofsales success for DeKalb,Hoag said.

Monsanto acquired DeKalbin full in 1998. DeKalb is seenas the St. Louis-based compa-ny’s national corn brand to goalong with a dozen regionalchoices.

Hoag said the companywants to continue to build uponwhat has been developed over

DEKALB/PAGE 5


‘Not your father’s corn’

Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff

Jeff Brown, DeKalb Seed Corn territory sales manager, checks rowsof seeds on an ear of corn with Niantic farmer Craig Moore as theytry to predict the bushel average of the field.

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AG TECHContinued from Page 2this as a career. So far, thishas been a career that hassome staying power.”

Students start off by intern-ing at a dealership they’vefound to be their sponsor andare paid for the time theywork while completing class-es.

“While they’re earning adegree, they have the abilityto work here and learn aboutJohn Deere,” said sales repre-sentative Grant Tice of SloanImplement in Assumption.“They hit the ground running.When they graduate, theyhave a career ahead of them.So they don’t have to worryabout going to interview forjobs. They’ve already gotsomething lined up.”

Given the uncertainty ofthe economy, Tice said theagricultural industry is anexcellent place to be workingin right now.

“For us, as a growing com-pany, it’s important to berecruiting and hiring youngpeople for careers in agricul-ture,” Tice said. “We need tobe hiring people.”

Not everybody remainsworking for John Deere, butthose who move elsewherefeel better off after complet-ing the program.

“There’s always going to bea need for good mechanics,”said Jake Semple, a 2009 grad-uate who worked for SchillingBrothers Inc. in Newton. “The

teachers were not just read-ing from a book. They had theexperience, and that’s whatmade the program.”

Semple said he left thedealership to go work for theJasper County HighwayDepartment, which affordedhim the time to work on hisown farm.

Finding the right job ispart of the reality facingthose who want to remainfarmers but need to find away to make a living.

It takes evolving skills tomake it all work, Tice said.

“Everything now is com-puterized,” Tice said. “Everycombine or tractor you see isloaded with computers andwires on it. Our equipment isexclusive to John Deere, sohaving that knowledge getsthem specialized in the field.”

All diagnostic work is doneon laptops. Parts catalogsare a thing of the past, Ticesaid. Machines steer them-selves and GPS systems helpfarmers with precise applica-tions.

Service repair work is oftendone in the fields, especiallyduring the spring and fallwhen time is most critical.

Most students are fromsmaller towns and are famil-iar with farming, Drake said.However, some have comefrom places such as theChicago suburbs.

Walker felt it was to hisadvantage having grown up ona farm, knowing what a com-bine is and what parts it has.

“I had a lot of experience

knowing what the equipmentwas and a basic idea of whatit’s like.” Walker said.

The equipment is big,expensive and can be compli-cated, Walker said.

“If it was anybody walkingoff the street who tries tostart working on something,they’re going to be over-whelmed,” Walker said.“They’re going to have a lot

of problems figuring outwhat’s going on without thebackground in the trainingprogram.”



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DEKALBContinued from the past century and increaseproductivity for farmers.

“The focus of DeKalb is fun-damentally the same,” Hoagsaid. “We want to be leadersin performance and innova-tion through advanced breed-ing technology, biotechnologyand by bringing those twotogether, along with a profes-sional dealer network andstrong agronomic support. Wethink we can deliver that overthe next 100 years.”

The company believes itcan offer the best choices forfarmers, Hoag said.

“Within our DeKalb portfolio,we can address the needs ofour farmer customers,” Hoagsaid. “We also realize not every-body is going to plant 100 per-cent of their acres to DeKalb.At the end of the day, they wantto make an educated decisionthat’s best for their farm.”

Technological advances inthe plants have includedinsect control, weed controland refuge management,Hoag said.

“There’s the old saying,‘It’s not your father’s Oldsmo-bile,’ ” Brown said. “Well, thisisn’t your father’s corn.”

Despite the seed technologycurrently possible, there isone thing nobody has come upwith a solution for.

“It’s amazing technology inthe plants,” Brown said. “Butwe still can’t make it rain.”


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keeter, a 5-year-old llama,was trying togive kisses to

the children whocame to see him atthis summer’s Chris-tian County Fair.

For the most part, the chil-drenseemedtoreturntheaffec-tion inone wayoranother,mostlytryingto feelSkeet-er’s softcoat.Evenwhen hetried tostealoneyounggirl’shat, itmadethechildlaugh.

Thosevolun-teeringtheirtime fortheexhibit,includ-

ing members of the Tay-lorville FFA chapter, wantedthe children to have at least

that level of comfort aroundthe animals.

“In the surrounding areas

around town, everything isbased on agriculture, yetthey’ve never seen animals

and don’t understand ag,”said Rachal Wolfe, a formerTaylorville FFA member who

will be a junior in college.“They think it’s just tractorsand cows.”

Wolfe was helping out withthe Christian County FarmBureau’s interactive farm

Planting a seedFFA brings knowledge of agriculture

to classroom, in hopes of it blossoming


Andrew Sims and Eric Sweeney, Okaw Valley High School students, ask elementary school student Calvin Cribbet about the display on the table as they offer informationabout agriculture mechanics during the annual Agriculture Day event in Bethany. TOP: Claire Hunt, 7, of Taylorville gets a personal greeting with a pony at an Interactive FarmExhibit put on with the help of local FFA members at the Christian County Fair.

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exhibit during the county fair.Being in FFA was a worth-while experience, so much sothat Wolfe wants to continueto find ways to be involvedwith it.

“If not for FFA, my highschool experience would nothave been nearly as good,”Wolfe said. “It’s one of thebest things that has happenedto me.”

By the time students areold enough to be in FFA,they can begin to pass ontheir knowledge of agricul-ture to younger children andexplain how much deeper itruns. They can talk not justabout animals but crops aswell.

At some schools, FFAmembers work all year toset up hands-on learningopportunities for youngerstudents.

For the past two years, theOkaw Valley High SchoolAgricultural Department hashosted an agriculture showin May for students in

kindergarten through thirdgrade.

The goal is to design inter-active activities for theyounger students to gaininsight into the agriculturalindustry, agriculture teacherand FFA advisor Emily Perrysaid. Booths have included apetting zoo, machinery, a

tractor pull, baby chicks,plants, trees, dairy, safetyand wildlife.

A similar presentation hasbeen made at Maroa-ForsythHigh School, which organiz-es an Ag Day event eachspring. The children seem toenjoy seeing the variety ofanimals on display after get-ting to interact with themfor a while, said KaylaHeise, who was the Maroa-Forsyth FFA chapter’sreporter.

“At first, they think theanimals are out to getthem,” Heise said. “We’vechanged their view on farmanimals to show they’refriendly, not wild. Being ableto apply it to their life isimportant.”

While the focus at ayounger age is to begin expos-ing children to the worldaround them, the high schoolstudents are old enough to bethinking about their futuresand what role agriculture willplay in that.

Joel Ashburn, 15, a sopho-

more at Taylorville HighSchool, wants to go to college,but he hopes to eventuallyreturn to the farm. Not every-body is like that with feweropportunities to make a livingon a farm.

The average age of afarmer in Christian County is54 years old.

“Farming is a gamble,”Ashburn said. “You don’talways have a paycheck. Idon’t think you could jumpinto it.”

Ashburn said he hasgrown up learning aboutfarming, and his responsibil-ities have expanded as hehas gotten older. He now isable to help out with mosttasks during planting andharvest, but getting to that

point has involved sacrificealong the way.

“It’s not all fun,” Ashburnsaid. “Farm kids don’t alwaysget to ride around on theirbikes. It is work, then fun.That helps later in life.”

The older students knowthey can’t take for grantedthat others know what they’vealready learned, so that’spart of why they enjoy oppor-tunities to share their experi-ences.

“It surprises me how dif-ferent we are,” said Heise,who also has helped out dur-ing the Macon County FarmBureau’s Agucation event forarea fifth-graders held atRichland Community Col-lege. “You would assumeother kids know. We can be

in neighboring towns andhave such different upbring-ings.”

Wolfe hopes that peoplewho visit exhibits such as theInteractive Farm can appreci-ate what farmers do.

“We want to provide a funexperience so they will beinterested,” Wolfe said. “It’sgood to have kids teachingkids. It makes it more relat-able. They are a whole newgeneration.”

In the years ahead, Wolfehopes to add more animals tothe exhibit so it will outgrowthe building where it has beenheld. She said that will be asign they have been gettingtheir message across to oth-ers.


Hunter Marshall, an Okaw Valley High School student, offers to let elementary school students Peyton Durbin, Maverik Cutler andNicholas Carpenter pet one of the ducks on display during the school’s annual agriculture show in Bethany.

Stephen Franklin, 5, of Taylorville doesn’t let his arm injury preventhim from learning how to rope a steer at the Christian County Fair.

D ID YOU KNOW?

Monsanto Co. is offering freeadmission into the FarmProgress Show to Illinois FFAstudents and advisers Wednes-day, Aug. 31, with the donationof nonperishable food items. Abag of nonperishable foodshould be brought to the busentrance of the Farm ProgressShow. The offer is part of Mon-santo’s community food drive inpartnership with the United Wayof Decatur and Mid-Illinois tobenefit Decatur area foodpantries. The equivalent of42,600 pounds of food was col-lected during the 2009 show.

‘It’ s not all fun. Farm kids don’t always get to ride around on their bikes. It is work, then fun. That helps later in life.’

Joel Ashburn, Taylorville High School sophomore


A lesson Jennifer Edge-combe taught this spring tokindergarten students at Har-ristown Elementary Schoolhad them eating their vegeta-bles.

It was a simple, yet effec-tive, way to get them startedlearning about how agricul-ture affects their lives.

“It’s a great way to learnabout the farm to fork con-cept,” said Edgecombe, theag literacy coordinator at theMacon County Farm Bureau.“We’re opening their eyes towhere their food comes from.Everything has to fall intoplace to get one dinner on thetable.”

Teachers Kris Sites andKarla Sullivan said theyappreciated the lessons thattheir students are taught dur-ing Ag in the Classroom vis-its. Some of the studentsseemed surprised to find outhow much they enjoyed eat-

ing radishes.“It all ties together,” Sulli-

van said. “It expands theirknowledge, as they taste whatthey’re learning. It’s good tohave reinforcement.”

The lessons take on addedsignificance for childrengrowing up surrounded bycorn and soybean fields, evenas fewer are involved in farm-ing operations but live insmall towns such as Harris-town.

As students get older, Edge-combe and other educatorsexpand on the ideas theyteach to those who will havethe opportunity to continuethe next generation of agri-culture. With so much tolearn, the lessons go beyondthe classrooms during assem-blies and field trips.

Macon County FarmBureau organizes an Aguca-tion field trip for fifth-graderseach spring to Richland Com-munity College. Much of whatis taught is geared toward try-

ing to get children started ata young age thinking aboutpossible career opportunities.

In agriculture, the job pos-sibilities are plentiful but thestudents need to know what’savailable.

“It’s important for them toknow what is going on aroundthem,” said Deb Harper, afifth-grade teacher at OakGrove School in Decatur. “Wetalk about the jobs they canget. It’s very important totheir future.”

In other schools throughoutCentral Illinois, the ideas aresimilar.

Students at Okaw ValleyElementary School inBethany and Main StreetSchool in Shelbyville tookpart this year in a Foodplaypresentation sponsored by theIllinois Soybean Association.The interactive, touring per-formance in April encouragedstudents to get excited abouteating healthy.

The school has fewer farmkids than before, Okaw ValleyPrincipal Paula Duis said.Duis wants students to appre-ciate the job farmers do forthem.

“If farmers are not goodstewards, they’d be out ofbusiness,” Duis said. “Theywouldn’t have a livelihood.Agriculture isn’t what it iseven from when I was a kid.”

Farmers want for the chil-dren and others to learnabout their ever-changingbusiness.

“A lot of people think farm-ers are just in it for the dol-lar,” said Sue Yarnell, Moul-trie County ag literacy coordi-nator. “Farmers want them tobe healthy. Nutrition andexercise are key componentsat a young age.”

The reality is farming itselfcan be an expensive proposi-tion, yet having a taste ofwhat’s going on is importantwith all the possibilities thatexist, said Dave Opperman, aLogan County farmer.

“Some of them have neverbeen around farm equip-ment,” Opperman said as hehelped out during an Ag Edu-cation Day this spring at theLincoln Area YMCA ActivityCenter. “Farming haschanged dramatically andgotten bigger.”

Not a lot of people work onthe farm anymore, saidMindy Bunselmeyer, a pro-gram adviser with Facilitat-ing Coordination in Agricul-tural Education. In fact, shesaid less than 2 percent of thepopulation is farmers.

No one career opportunity

exists, and Bunselmeyershowed more than a dozendifferent jobs from implement

dealers to marketing andworking at a grain elevatorduring her presentation at the


Lessonswith a bite

Ag in the Classroom teaches studentsabout where their food comes from

Agucation event. The increas-ing uses for crops provideadditional opportunities forwork, Bunselmeyer said.

“There are lots of jobsbetween the farmer and gro-cery store,” Bunselmeyersaid. “Even if we can’t turnit into food, we’re going toturn it into something use-ful.”


A CLOSER LOOK

Ag in the Classroom datesback to 1981 when the U.S.Department of Agriculturehelped each state address agri-culture education based on itsown needs. Every state and ter-ritory has an Ag in the Class-room presence. In Illinois, the Illi-nois Farm Bureau Agriculture inthe Classroom program mergedin 2005 with Partners for Agricul-tural Literacy. Illinois Agriculturein the Classroom combines theefforts of the Farm Bureau, Facil-itating the Coordination of Agri-cultural Education, University ofIllinois Extension, Association ofIllinois Soil and Water Conserva-tion Districts and others.


After a story and art project on vegetables, Jennifer Edgecombe, the ag literacy coordinator at theMacon County Farm Bureau, passes out vegetables to Harristown Elementary School kindergartners.

Joseph Bromfield, who plays Coach, shows J.L. Reed, portrayingJohnny Junkfood, how much sugar is in one can of a soft drink.The Emmy award-winning FOODPLAY production was performing atOkaw Valley Elementary School.

Marcus Ricci of the Macon County Soil and Water Conservation Dis-trict explains the rules of a quiz game about soils to Mount ZionIntermediate School fifth-graders.

Strasburg, Illinois 62465 Phone (217) 644-2270

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