MADISON CO., N.Y. — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County is pleased to once again be partnering with NYS Farm Bureau and local FFA Chapters to bring Ag Literacy week to elementary schools. This is the 13th year of the program that occurs throughout New York State during the week of March 19th-23rd. In Madison County, the program will reach nearly 1000 youth.
Before We Eat from Farm to Table by Pat Brisson is the selected book for 2018. With beautiful illustrations, the book tells the story of the journey of food from farm to table and highlights some of the careers that are involved with the journey. Agriculture contributes $37 Billion to the New York state Economy and has the second highest economic impact in Madison County. A wide variety of careers are essential to ensuring a viable and healthy food system and job opportunities in the industry for college graduates are bountiful. This year’s book was selected to both help youth understand more about where their food comes from as well as to introduce the wide variety of careers available in agriculture.
Volunteer readers will be in classrooms throughout Ag Literacy week to share the book and then engage youth with an activity to help them understand more about the journey food takes to their table. At the close of the program, each school receives copies of the book for their library and teachers are provided with information on how they can continue with lessons in agriculture. This year’s books have been generously sponsored by the Madison County chapter of the New York Farm Bureau.
If a school is not a current participant of the program and would like to be involved in 2019, please contact Dr. Karin Bump to be added for future programming.
–CCE of Madison County
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