Bridging the gap between rural farmers and urban consumers made for great fun during Ag in the City

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • June 25, 2012
  • 345
                        
Summary: Rural agriculture came to visit urban residents as Ag in the City took over Tuscora Park for a hands-on opportunity for children and adults to learn more about the important roles agriculture play in our everyday lives. Agriculture may employ just under 2% of American workers, but 100% of U.S. citizens depend on it for their very existence. The cotton t-shirt you wear? Thank the agricultural industry. The leather sneakers on your feet? The ethanol that runs your car? Those live plants in your aquarium? That medication your pharmacist dispenses? The lumber that was used to build your house? The juicy hamburger and fresh salad on your plate? All thanks to agriculture. Foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials – all are a result of agriculture. Yet 72% of all consumers in a recent survey conducted by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance say that they know ‘nothing or very little’ about farming or ranching. That fact is alarming. As agriculture continues to expand, it seems that fewer and fewer Americans understand this critical part of their everyday lives. Bridging that gap is a goal for all who are passionate about agriculture, or ‘ag’ as it is commonly called by those who are immersed in the field. Such was the motivation behind the second annual “Ag in the City” event, held at Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia on June 22. The evening activity was a fun and free way for urban families who might have minimal contact with the farming community to get a chance to reconnect through farm animal petting area and farm equipment exhibits, ag related games sponsored by the 4-H program, a square foot gardening exhibit, a close up and personal visit with an active beehive, or even a chance to ‘milk’ Cali the Cow at a hands-on dairy experience. Also attracting visitors were the Creatures of the Friendly Skies and All-A-Flutter Butterfly exhibitions. Barb Airgood of the Extension office was supervising a children’s area. “We have lots of fun games here for the kids to play tonight, thanks to the help of our 4-H kids and students from the Indian Valley FFA group. The kids are enjoying simulated calf roping and stick horse races. We are also showing visitors how a 4-Her shows a pig, along with a stack a hay bale, finding potatoes in the hay stack, and building a hen’s nest with plastic eggs activities. They love it!” Airgood explained that the 4-H program’s Quilt Square Barn Trail was also being promoted. Barns throughout the county have huge paintings of popular quilt squares hung on them for drive-it-yourself tours. “The kids can make miniature quilt squares here tonight to learn more about that program”, Airgood stated. 4-H advisor Bret Kretzinger was advocating the popular youth program. “4-H teaches the kids a lot of responsibility with feeding the animals, taking care of them, and doing their projects. Kids get valuable experiences from the many different projects available,” said Kretzinger. “These activities tonight show them that 4-H is fun.” Clarissa Moody is the current Tuscarawas County Fair Queen, and she was doing her part to educate others at Ag in the City. Clarissa’s family are long time area dairy farmers, so Moody lives out the agricultural lifestyle every day. “I am educating the kids about what cows eat, and how much milk cows produce every day,” she shared. “I think it’s going pretty good here tonight. I’m surprised at how many people have come out to join us.” “I’ve been talking with guests about trees and how to tell a tree’s age by the number of rings you see on a cut log,” said Eryn Vogel, who was present in her role as the Forest Heritage Festival queen. “The look in their eyes when I show them the different ages of trees is amazing. It just floors them that you can age a tree in this way. The kids, and the adults, too, are learning a lot here tonight. It’s for everybody.”


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