Dee Desmond

Attending the Summer Ag Institute helped me realize the importance of including agricultural literacy in my classroom. It became apparent that I would be able to integrate agriculture into every subject area and still continue to adhere to California State Content Standards while enhancing the curriculum with a focus on agriculture.

Agriculture education allowed me to tap into subject matter that was unfamiliar to most of my students. Ag curriculum provided new excitement and interest among my students and helped me recognize a void in education that needed to be addressed.

Most of my students were very excited each year to participate in the Imagine this... Writing Contest, and two were chosen as state winners. Gaining knowledge through research—including Agricultural Commodity Fact and Activity Sheets—each student chose a California commodity. They created a format for teaching others about that commodity, dressed as a commodity to gain attention, and performed verbal presentations throughout the school grounds during Open House.

Even though I am retired from the classroom, I continue to be involved in El Dorado County Farm Day, sponsored by Farm Bureau. I feel that many students over past years have benefited greatly by my involvement in Ag in the Classroom. Being involved in an agritourism business has also given me the opportunity to continue to use many of the CFAITC activities with school groups that visit our farm.

The Agricultural Commodity Fact and Activity Sheets are great resources for many activities, but they are especially helpful when students are creating the Imagine this... stories, which I found to be the most valuable program. This program reaches a diverse age group, requires research, allows for creativity, and the competition provides for greater enthusiasm.

We have lost so much farmland, and many children and adults are unfamiliar with the fascinating story of where our food comes from. "Agriculture" needs to be the word that comes to mind each time a person eats, gets dressed, or shops.

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