Third grade students at Seymour Elementary enjoyed a special guest and book reading on September 18th. Emma Alexander, local farmer from Fordland and member of the Webster County Farm Bureau Board stopped by to share the book “Farm Boots” with students and visit with them about each type of boots they have worn. Students were encouraged to wear boots for the day to compare with friends.
“Farm Boots” is a story that shares the jobs of farmers throughout the seasons that require different boots for cleanliness or safety. It also shows different boots that are worn for fun times! The book was donated to the elementary library for circulation.
This reading visit is the continuation of a year long project of the Webster County Farm Bureau Board to increase agricultural literacy among elementary students across our county and to develop personal relationships between farmers and students and school faculty and staff.
Throughout 2024 accurate agriculture book reading visits have taken place at Fordland Early Childhood Center by Farm Bureau members Jason and Mandy Duncan, Marshfield Elementary by Farm Bureau member Bill Messick, and Niangua Elementary by Farm Bureau members Gary and Sandy Letterman.
“It is fun to visit the students in their classrooms,” shared Gary Letterman, current president of the Webster County Farm Bureau Board. “The kids have questions about their food and we have the answers!”
Sometimes reading visits include a bonus surprise. In April, after the reading of “Tales of the Dairy Godmother”, students in Mrs. Pyles’ Seymour 3rd grade class were able to make fresh ice cream using the recipe found in the back of the book! During summer school classes, Fordland students received their own corn activity book to take home courtesy of the Missouri Corn Growers Association following the reading of “My Family’s Corn Farm”.
Along with the book “I Love Strawberries!” came a box of fresh strawberries for student taste testing. Other visits have focused on the topics of potatoes, soybeans, soils, and more.
The Webster County Farm Bureau Board invested in book subscriptions made possible by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Each subscription sends one accurate agriculture title suited for elementary students each month throughout 2024. Each month the new books are read aloud to elementary students across the county before being presented to each school library for circulation.
When the project concludes in January 2025, Seymour, Fordland, Marshfield, and Niangua elementary schools will have received 12 new book titles. Each age-appropriate book included in the subscription has been vetted and chosen because it accurately depicts the story of agriculture so that students can be better informed about the food, fuel, and fiber all around them.
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