Grundy County fourth graders get an education in agriculture

The Grundy Area FFA, Seneca Ag Program and Ag in the Classroom hosted Grundy County fourth grade students Friday at the Grundy County Fairgrounds, teaching them all about conservation, crops, plants, fruits and vegetables, and farming equipment.

The students went from station to station where high school FFA students explained the things they learned through their career development.

GAVC Ag teacher Brandy Biros said this is the first time the organizations have teamed up to do this, replacing a few different older events like the dairy tour that went away in part due to COVID-19 and in part because Grundy County doesn’t have any active dairy farmers left. The event Friday saw over 400 students from around Grundy County.

Maddie Gomez, a Coal City High School senior, guided the kids through a project where they cut up fruits and vegetables before dipping them in paint for a sort of finger painting exercise, where they’d mash the paint down onto paper plates so they can better see the outline.

“The kids are fun and certainly interesting, and a bit messy,” Gomez said. “A few have gotten paint all over themselves.”

Students also explained the importance of different kinds of seeds, like Brooklynn Elam from Coal City High School. She had the job of showing kids what soybeans and their seeds actually look like, and talked about what they’re used for. Elam said soybeans are typically used for things like candles and vegetable oil, among many others.

Kids also learned about conservation and preservation, where Minooka Community High School senior Vivienne Forte explained the importance of protecting the environment while allowing the kids to get a hands-on experience with animal furs. Outside, students got first-hand experience with farm equipment like tractors and trailers, and a few semi trucks.

Perhaps most popular with the kids were the farm animals, though the llama wasn’t nearly as happy to see them as the baby goat and the horse, both of whom were happy to let the students pet them.

Students from Braceville, Gardner-South Wilmington, Immaculate Conception School, Morris Elementary, Saratoga Elementary and Aux Sable Elementary attended.