Volunteers boost ag literacy effort

Do you know where your food comes from? Students around Alaska can tell you it comes from farms, thanks to individuals and businesses that promoted Alaska Agriculture Day on May 6.

Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) sponsored an agricultural literacy program on Alaska Ag Day, which reached students statewide, including more than 30 classrooms in the Mat-Su Borough School District. Volunteer readers included farmers, gardeners, state employees, Soil and Water Conservation District staff, members of the media and other community members.

The entire student bodies of Sherrod and Butte elementary schools were involved in Alaska Ag Day events, thanks to organizers Kelly Malahy and Polly Rowell, respectively.

Alaska AITC also compiled “Learning Barns” of educational materials for 10 schools statewide and presented them for Alaska Ag Day. One was presented at Sherrod and one at Butte, with a third to be presented locally in the fall. These totes full of books, DVDs and commodity samples were made possible by grants from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s White-Reinhardt Fund and the Alaska Division of Agriculture’s Alaska Grown program, and generous donations from Country Companies/ Mulligan Farms of Palmer, Palmer SWCD, Alaska Mill & Feed and Pioneer Equipment, as well as Alaska AITC’s sponsor organization, the Alaska Farm Bureau.

The assistance and support of volunteers, businesses and agencies helps Alaska AITC work toward its goal of making sure all Alaska students know farmers grow and raise the food they eat each day. My thanks to all who support agricultural literacy on Alaska Ag Day and throughout the year.

Victoria Naegele, director

Alaska Agriculture

in the Classroom

www.agclassroom.org/ak