Colorado Foundation for Ag Provides Resources for Educators

Many in ag are aware of the great work they do on behalf of the ag industry, but we also need to share the story with educators to get the word out — as to the wonderful resources available for teachers across the state.

Colorado Foundation for Agriculture Director Bette Blinde shares more about the programs they provide

Blinde: "One of the things that we produce is what we call a Colorado Reader Series. That is a weekly reader on Colorado agriculture and natural resource topics that comes out monthly during the school year. This week we are sending our first one that is about technology and agriculture. It is printed material that is sent out in classroom sets of 30 readers and a teacher's guide. Then next month we are doing one on energy and the following month on agriculture and wildlife. So every month we have a different issue of the Colorado Reader we are working on. Then in the summer time we do our Food, Fiber and More Summer Ag Institute for teachers. These are two institutes specifically designed for teachers with little or no ag background. We take them out and immerse them in all things agriculture. We tour a variety of different ag operations and parts of the food systems. Then we put them to work on a farm or ranch for a day so that they can really get to walk in that person's boots, so to speak. Often those are irrigation boots."

Foundation also have a Colorado Literacy Project where farmers and ranchers go into the classrooms and read a book about agriculture and then do an activity about ag.