Correen Davis
Managing Partner for Gorrill Ranch and Ag in the Classroom board member
Now that we are all adjusting to working from home and trying to be teachers (of all subjects!) for our kids, CA Foundation for Ag in the Classroom’s LearnAboutAg@Home campaign was a welcome sight as it showed up on my social media feeds. While the schools tried to figure out distance learning and I was trying to work and keep my kids occupied, I turned to some of the resources pushed out by Ag in the Classroom to keep my 5th grader interested (and busy!) with lessons. We recently did the “Comparing Apples and…Earth?” activity as we talked about why our state is able to produce such a variety of food (over 400 commodities!) on such a small amount of land. (Learn more here.) LearnAboutAg@Home also features an activity focused on learning the water cycle.
Ag in the Classroom is an organization essential to connecting future California residents to what it means to exist in the top producing agricultural state in the nation when only 2% of its residents are responsible for that food production. Now, more than ever, we have come to realize how much we depend on a stable food supply and the supply chain that delivers these CA grown products to our stores.
Growing up in a farming family, I took for granted the access to open space and the foundational knowledge of farming to which I was privy. As a teacher early in my career, I was shocked at how many students had no idea how much food is grown right in their own backyard! With Ag in the Classroom, we have an opportunity to provide kids with exposure to food and farming they would not otherwise have. It’s a win-win both for the students and our state—now and in the future!
During this time of distance learning, we have started a new campaign, LearnAboutAg@Home! Every day at 10 am, we share fun and educational ag-tivities that can be enjoyed at home. Ag-tivities will range from Beefing Up Math to Making Recycled Paper and everything in-between! Please help us promote these ag-tivities and our #LearnAboutAg@Home campaign. We ask that you share this with your friends and family as well as in your newspapers, magazines, and online so educators can utilize these resources and continue teaching about agriculture.
Blog: https://learnaboutagathome.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutag
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LearnAboutAg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learnaboutag
The resources provided give an intro to Ag in the Classroom curriculum resources and provide a condensed and practical way for teachers to incorporate ag learning into their existing standards-based curriculum. The fact sheets not only connect the students to interesting information about how and where their food is grown, but they also give our state’s commodity groups a chance to deliver their message of how they produce food with an eye on stewardship so we can continue to farm in CA for generations to come.
For more information on Gorrill Ranch and Correen Davis, please click here.
