Urban Ag Day

Welcome to the 2021 Virtual Urban Ag Day!

While we wish we could host you all at our fairgrounds as we have in past years, we couldn’t go another year without trying to connect and educate about the importance of agriculture in our daily lives.

FFA students from Dassel-Cokato, Glencoe-Silver Lake, Hancock, Morris Area, Randolph, Tracy Area and West Central have produced the videos and lessons that you will be viewing in the links provided. The supporting materials and activity supplies (activity books, handouts, printouts, etc.) were delivered to your school in early April.

We wanted to ensure that this virtual experience would fit seamlessly into your schedules, therefore you will be able to access the Virtual Urban Ag Day videos for the entire month of May.

We have also arranged a “live” half-hour Zoom for the livestock lessons. This will be provided by Morris Area FFA on Wednesday, May 12 only. A separate email will be sent to you via SignUpGenius. There will be four half-hour sessions offered with eight classrooms allowed per session. Once you sign up, a Google Doc will be sent for each classroom to ask questions. Each class will then receive a recorded video with answers to your classroom’s questions.

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we must continue to adapt and change, just as agriculture continues to do. We hope that this shift to virtual for 2021 is informative and engaging for your students. We look forward to your feedback!

Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Listen to Princess Kay of the Milky Way talk about the importance of dairy and why it’s so good for us!

• A Talk with Princess Kay (link)

Lessons

The Amazing Soybean

Soybeans are truly amazing! This lesson teaches us how soybeans are grown and their many, many uses.

Videos

• The Amazing Soybean Lesson (link)

Printouts

• Other Uses of Soybeans (PDF)

The Buzzing Bee

The most important thing that bees do is pollinate. Pollination is needed for plants to reproduce, and so many plants depend on bees or other insects as pollinators.

Video

• The Buzzing Bee Lesson (link)

Printouts

• Bee Family Photos Printout (PDF) and Pollen, Nectar and Honeycomb Photos Printout (PDF)
• Cheeto Activity Instructions (PDF)
• Food Pollinations & Waggle Dance Instructions (PDF)
• Sunflower Printout (PDF)

Farm to Fork

We can all agree cheeseburgers are delicious, right? But it’s quite the process to create that burger. In fact, every part is grown by a farmer! Learn how a cheeseburger gets made, from farm to fork.

Video

• Farm to Fork Lesson (link)

Printouts

• Farm to Fork Instructions (PDF)
• Cheeseburger Printout First Page (PDF) and Second Page (PDF)

Feed the Cows

Cows are just like us, right? Well, actually, they are! Cows and humans require very similar diets. Learn all about it!

Video

• Feed the Cows Lesson (link)

Printouts

• Feed the Cows Instructions (PDF)
• Nutrients for Cows vs. Humans (PDF)

Ready, Set, Grow

Corn on the cob is a tasty summer treat, and crayons are fun to use, but the process of planting corn and soybeans and then harvesting them to create products we use every day is a fun, interesting and important journey.

Video

• Ready, Set Grow! Lesson (link)

Printouts

• Plant Pal: A Living Necklace Activity (PDF)
• Corn Growth Printout (PDF)
• Soybean Germination Printout (PDF)

Wet and Wild Water Cycle

The earth has a limited amount of water. That water goes around and around and around in what we call the ‘water cycle!’ Why is water important? Learn all about it!

Video

• Wet and Wild Water Cycle Lesson (link)

Printouts

• Wet and Wild Water Cycle Instructions (PDF)
• Water Cycle Printout (PDF)

Farm Equipment

Videos

• Let’s Talk About Farm Equipment with FFA (link)

Printouts

Note: Print the definitions first. Then, flip the printed definitions pages over in the printer and print the photos on the back side. 

• Farm Equipment Definitions (PDF)
• Farm Equipment Photos (PDF)

Supplemental Videos: What do our farmers grow or raise?

Videos

• Let’s Talk About Beef Cattle with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Corn with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Goats with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Hay with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Sheep with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Soybeans with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Sunflowers with FFA (link)
• Let’s Talk About Swine with FFA (link)