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Friday, March 6, 2009 9:47 PM CST
FFA members help younger students make way around farm show at mall
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — She’s worked with grade school kids to teach them about agriculture before, but Taylor Ellis welcomed the chance Friday to do it on a larger scale.
The Oakland High School FFA chapter member helped more than 400 first- and second-grade students learn about soil conservation and related topics Friday as the youngsters toured the Coles County Farm Bureau farm show at Cross County Mall.
Ellis’ FFA project is in agriculture education and she’s worked with fourth-graders in Oakland. On Friday, she said she was liked teaching the younger students about agriculture.
“In the city, they sometimes know nothing about it,” she said. “The kids enjoy it.”
FFA members from Charleston, Mattoon and Oakland high schools served as tour guides Friday, escorting the students from Carl Sandburg Elementary School in Charleston to the exhibits at the farm show.
The county Farm Bureau has students from a different school district tour the show each year, and about 450 students from Carl Sandburg were scheduled to visit the show throughout the day.
They got to see and learn about the Farm Bureau itself along with the Extension Service Master Gardner program, beekeeping, the county Soil and Water Conservation District, antique tractors and new farm equipment.
“It’s a great way to teach them about agriculture at a young age,” Farm Bureau Manager Mary Cox said. “It teaches them where their food comes from. The younger kids look up to the older kids and learn from them.”
The FFA students also served as timers to make sure the tours stayed on schedule and helped Farm Bureau members hand out the free popcorn served during the show.
The advisers of the three high school FFA chapters all said having their students give the tours was a benefit to them as well as the first- and second-graders. For some of the FFA students, it’s their first time leading younger students, Charleston High School adviser Julie Niemerg said.
“They talk about it for weeks later,” she said. “They enjoy it.”
The FFA students also learn communication skills and have to work with the Farm Bureau to help organize the event, Mattoon High School adviser Ryan Wildman said.
“They’re learning how to talk to adults and to the younger students,” she said.
Oakland High School adviser Jeff Coon said the work at the farm show will also benefit FFA students who might want to become teachers.
“It’s FFA’s role to get ag education in front of kids,” he said.
CHS had 12 of its FFA students at the show Friday and the Mattoon and Oakland chapters brought seven students each. The farm show continues at the mall today and Sunday.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 238-6858.
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