03/13/06 Farm Fair

So where does all that food in the grocery store come from? I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Recently fifth grade students in the Columbia Basin received first hand experience on exactly how that gallon of milk or pound of hamburger gets to the grocery store. Farm Fair has been going on for over 20 years and gives approximately 1500 kids a chance to see what an impact the average farmer makes. Wendy Hendricks with the Pasco, Washington Chamber of Commerce says it's an education experience for 5th graders. HENDRICKS: They come in, they learn about anything from cattlemen to sheep to hay and they just learn how things grow, how thing get birthed for the cattlemen. And they just enjoy the event and learn a lot about agriculture. The students are divided into small groups and spend 8-10 minutes at each of 9 stations where they get a hands on look at the various aspects of farming including hay production, weed management, horticulture, rabbit, sheep and cattle industries. This brief overview is designed to give the kids a basic knowledge of farming operations and the ag industry in general. Each student receives a locally grown apple before leaving. There are also machinery displays since many kids who grow up in a metropolitan area may never have seen a tractor up close. HENDRICKS: Well they have to realize that agriculture and farming is very important to the community and it's not just people out there digging in the dirt and getting their crops, they have to realize where the crops come from that they eat to stay nourished and so that they know that farmers are really important and that maybe they'll have a job in agriculture later on in the future. In addition to the lectures and hands on elements, the students get to travel through the potato tunnel. It's a full sized interactive display that simulates going underground and seeing potatoes in their various stages of development. Along with local producers, many local high school FFA departments and 4-H groups take part. One especially dramatic display shows the 5th graders how many people on farmer feeds. HENDRICKS: We have a table here that shows that each year a US farmer can produce enough food to feed 135 people. We have a long table set up with about a 135 chairs with plates and cups and it's just a visual aid for kids to realize that one farmer does a lot of work. The annual event is sponsored by a number of local producers and is also underwritten by the Washington State Potato Commission. So if you've ever wondered where those eggs in the carton or that bag of flour comes from, ask a fifth grader and a farmer. I'm Greg Martin, and that's today's Line On Agriculture.