Area educators ‘got milk’ at Fair Agriculture Breakfast

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • September 21, 2012
  • 347
                        
Summary: Local educators and public officials got a first hand look at dairy production and other facets of agriculture at annual Ag Breakfast at the Fair. Area educators and public officials braved an exceptionally chilly Sept. morning to attend the 7 AM Ag Breakfast held at the Tuscarawas County Fair on Sept. 20. The breakfast, hosted by the Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau and held in the main show arena, is a tradition, and is designed to help link educators, administrators, and others from the community with the importance of agriculture in the county. This year, the breakfast focused on a ‘what’s in your lunch?’ theme, with breakfasts served in box lunch style. Hundreds of local school children bring projects to the fair each year, and agriculture advocates are appreciative of schools’ willingness to cooperate in the endeavor. “I am very passionate about agriculture education,” said Michelle Carlisle of the Educational Service Center in New Philadelphia, which assists area schools. “It is important that our students understand what they are eating.” Carlisle works with the Farm Bureau and local schools to present interactive distance learning about all types of agriculture, from apples to biotechnology and dairy production in a partnership called “AgAdventures”. “Kids learn that agriculture touches all of our lives in many ways. These 40 minute distance learning lessons help them to make that connection.” Farm Bureau president Steve Quillen, Senior Fair Board member Steve Cronebaugh, and area director Michele Specht welcomed all of the guests and encouraged them repeatedly to keep the lines of communication open with those in the agricultural industry, in order to continue to foster youth’s connection with all that agriculture entails. Tuscarawas County has gross yearly agriculture receipts of a staggering $95 million, with 1,040 farms, and is fifth in Ohio in overall dairy production. “The Junior Fair board volunteers are here late each night, keeping things cleaned up, and the younger 4-H kids are working hard, too,” said 4-H extension agent Chris Zoeller. Cronebaugh encouraged area superintendents to work with him on possibly having a day when all of the schools could attend the fair. Quillen had Junior Fair 4-H member Clark Mutti lead a large Brown Swiss dairy cow into the ring, and then invited representatives from the school to take a seat on a stool and try their hand at milking. Volunteering to milk were Pat Cadle from Newcomerstown West, Matt Fockler from Dover Middle School, Donna Edward’s from New Phila’s York Elementary, Brian Gibson from Welty Middle School, Casey Travis from Baltic and Ragersville Elementary schools, Jay Davis of Buckeye Career Center, and Mark Murphy, superintendent of Tusky Valley Schools. Each was competing to see how much milk they could get into a cup in one minute from the patient cow, hoping to win the grand prize of an IPad for their school. Some milkers were more successful than others. Murphy did not fare well on his first attempt, but did better on his second. He was amazed by the experience. “I’m 44 years old, and I’ve never milked a cow before in my life. That’s crazy,” he said. “This is a wonderful experience.” Champion milker was Matt Fockler of Dover who admitted he had some prior dairy experience milking on the dairy farm of a relative occasionally. He was excited about winning the IPad for his school. “Technology is the future of education,” he noted. “We are definitely going to be using this in our classrooms.”


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