14th Annual Hands-on Ag Day brings hundreds of kids together to learn about agriculture

MARSHALL COUNTY, W.Va. ( WTRF ) – Marshall County fifth grade students from public and private schools gathered at the county’s fairgrounds this morning to get involved in day one of the 14 ^th Annual Hands-On Ag Day!

This event is made possible through the partnership between the Natural Resource Conservation and the Northern Panhandle Conservation district.

The goal of the day is to teach students all about agriculture and how it plays a huge role in their lives.

Conversationalist Kaite Fitzsimmons has been a part of Hands-on Ag Day since it’s inception.

She explains the importance of teaching agriculture and how this year’s drought provides a unique learning opportunity.

“It’s important for kids to know that everything around them goes back to agriculture. From the clothes they wear, to the food they eat, to the house that they live in. And they need to understand where things come from. I want them to know that their milk doesn’t just come from Kroger or Walmart. It actually comes from a farmer who gets up every morning and milks the cows and does all the work on the farm and they repeat the same process in the evening. Whenever we don’t have rain, the grass isn’t growing. One of the things that we’re also going to talk about this in our soil trailer. Everything underground, all the little critters that are in the soil, they need water too. So, it’s really important.”

Kaite Fitzsimmons | NPCS District Conversationalist

Students rotated through 11 stations covering a variety of topics ranging from soil, water quality, forestry, livestock and even bees!

Students were provided with a mini notebook to write notes about the different stations they visited to participate in an essay contest for a chance to win $50.

The contest requires a student to write a one-to-two-page essay about what they learned, what interested them the most and the new things they would like to learn about in the future in terms of agriculture and conservation.

Mark Fitzsimmons, a retired Marshall County School teacher, is the supervisor of the NPCD and an active member of the Hands-on Ag Day planning committee.

In a press release, Fitzsimmons is quoted saying:

“We want these kids to go home and know that milk doesn’t come from aisle 17. I believe we’ve lost one or two generations in the sense of knowing where their food comes from. We have to get them back and I feel the best way to do that is through their kids.”

Mark Fitzsimmons | Supervisor, NPCD

More students are expected to participate in the event again Friday for the final day of the two-day event.

Participating agencies in this year’s two-day event include NRCS, Farm Service Agency, Northern Panhandle Conservation District, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, West Virginia Conservation Agency, WVU Extension Service, Marshall County Fair, Marshall County Farm Bureau, Marshall County Commission, John Marshall Future Farmers of America and Marshall County Schools.

NRCS and NPCD want to thank the following sponsors for their generous support: Marshall County Commission, Marshall County Co-Op, Marshall County Fairgrounds, Marshal County Farm Bureau, Marshall County Schools, Northern Panhandle Conservation District, Norhtern Panhandle RC&D and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

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