Students in a variety of grade levels at Highland School have been getting together to learn about agriculture from staff and students from the University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) in an after-school program called “Ag in the Classroom.” On Thursday afternoon, the students learned about forestry explains UMC Director of Outreach and Engagement Michell Christopherson. “Today’s project is all about forestry,” said Christopherson. “We really want the students to identify with their surroundings and the environment. Getting outside and checking out the trees is what we’re mostly focusing on right now is the age of the tree, how it starts as the roots with the sapling side of things, but also identifying the different leaves. And then, of course, identifying what habitat uses that as home, food, their sense of belonging within the forest or not. We’re hopeful the kids will learn a little bit more about how trees age and they can identify the size of a tree or at least the rings within the trunk to determine how old that plant is.”
Thursday’s topic at Highland was Forestry, which Christopher explains is one of the five F’s of agriculture being taught to the elementary age group. “There are five F’s in agriculture for this particular age group – farming, fabric, fiber, flowers, and forestry,” said Christopherson. “We’ll have one more session next week to wrap up talking about food. The students will be able to eat some food and start thinking more critically about perhaps some farmer’s markets. What we’re really trying to do is identify with the students so that they have a clear understanding of where their food is coming from. Food security is important for us as we move forward with a large population. I think the information the students are starting to plant right now would be to engage further in different careers within agriculture. Whether you’re an engineer or perhaps, pharmaceutical sales, those are different aspects of farming. But being an agronomist and being a business manager for a large co-operation, too, is very important, particularly to northwest Minnesota.”
“Ag in the Classroom” is being led by staff and students from UMC in several school districts throughout the region through a financial gift, according to Christopherson. “We have a donor that provided a financial gift for us to start exploring Agriculture in the Classroom, ag science outreach, and also some college credit efforts in different communities so that students from all ages would be able to learn a little more about agriculture, not just cows and sows,” said Christopherson. “We started working with some of the districts in the region – Crookston, Stephen-Argyle, Clearbrook-Gonvick, East Grand Forks, Fertile – where we’re engaging students in an after-school program to learn more critically about agriculture.”
The program will wrap up at Highland with the final lesson on Monday, February 10.
