Ag Awareness Day held for fourth graders
By Beth Scott
Sophia Meiser, Evelyn Hire and Rylee Shrimplin had high hopes that they would get to see a pig at Ag Awareness Day.
“It’s their (Evelyn and Rylee’s) favorite animal and now I’ve started to like them,” said Meiser, who attends Lincoln with Hire and Shrimplin.
Shrimplin likes pigs so much that she is showing one at the fair for the first time this year.
“My dad did it from the time he was little all the way up to his senior year,” she said. “He was grand champion four times.”
The trio would eventually learn about pigs, but before they made it to that stop they were given the chance to milk a goat.
“It felt weird, but was fun,” Meiser said.
Ag Awareness Day is an annual event conducted by the Coshocton County Farm Bureau for all fourth graders in Coshocton County. The event is held at the fairgrounds and volunteers from the Coshocton County Farm Bureau, FFA chapters and agricultural related businesses and agencies help teach the children about a variety of agriculture topics.
After only two stations, Hire was pretty sure it was going to be a fun day.
“I think this is going to be great,” she said. “We got to milk the goat and now I think we are going to go learn about chickens and then get a pumpkin. I just really hope we see a pig.”
Wendell Waters fulfilled Hire’s wish. He taught the children about raising pigs and had on display two baby pigs.
“It’s interesting to see the kids’ reactions and they think the little pigs are so cute,” he said. “I also think this helps make them aware of where their food comes from.”
Children also learned about photosynthesis, honeybees, grain, soil conservation and more.
“Today is pretty educational,” said Jordan Thompson, who is a senior at the Coshocton County Career Center and a member of its FFA chapter. “They learn some good stuff and the information is presented at their level.”
He and Blake McKee, who is a junior at the Career Center and also involved in FFA, were two of the volunteers that helped escort students from station to station.
“I like talking to the little kids and seeing how happy it makes them to have older people talk to them,” McKee said.
Brenda Starkey, who teaches science at Ridgewood Middle School, attended Ag Awareness Day for the first time last year and said it was a good learning experience.
“Last year it was also very well organized and all the presenters were prepared,” she said.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
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