Area elementary students participate in virtual harvest via FarmChats

Local agricultural professionals recently gave area students a look into the ins-and-outs of the industry.

In celebration of American Education Week last month, Franklin County Farm Bureau and North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom sponsored a series of Farm-Chats, which brought area farmers into the classroom via livestream.

The FarmChats were this year’s Ag in the Classroom activities, as the regular on-site visits and demonstrations could not be held due to COVID-19.

The chats were presented to fourth graders at Hampton-Dumont and CAL schools, as well as third-graders at AG-WSR.

This year’s presenters were Ian and Val Plagge, of Latimer, Rodney Peters, Hampton and Larry Sailer, Iowa Falls.

Val Plagge said that the modified Ag in the Classroom lessons were still valuable, as some students don’t have the chance to see agriculture in their everyday lives. For their lesson, the Plagges took students on a virtual combine ride around their fields.

“We had a lot of fun sharing about harvest with the 4th graders through the Farm-Chat,” she said. “They asked thoughtful questions and were very engaged as we explained how our combine works.”

Larry Sailer added that he enjoys the opportunity to share his experiences with the students in hopes that they gain an understanding of how food and products get from the fields to their homes.

“One of my favorite things to do is talk to school kids through our North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom FarmChat,” he said.