Colorado State University Students to Teach Hundreds of Third-Graders about Food, Fiber

Third-graders across the Poudre School District will round up on Sept. 25 and 26 for their big field trip of the school year – a visit to Colorado State University’s research farm to learn about the sources of their food and fiber.

Over 1,500 students from the Fort Collins area will visit CSU’s Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center for the 13th annual Ag Adventure. The program will run 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day.

The youngsters will come from more than 20 schools and 63 classrooms from around northern Colorado for hands-on lessons about the science of agriculture and the intricacies of food production. Through six stations, and 18 mini-stations, students will get a first-hand look at agriculture and food production. They also will get the chance to meet CAM the Ram and learn about the production of wool while watching a sheep being sheared.

Ag Adventure was founded in September 2001 by students in CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences with the mission of educating the youth of northern Colorado about the importance of agriculture. Twelve years later, the program has grown significantly and has educated thousands of students about the importance of agriculture and where food comes from.

The innovative program provides elementary school students with focused, hands-on activities about a wide range of agricultural enterprises and products. Each activity – ranging from wool and meat production to soil and crop sciences – has been developed by a CSU Agricultural Sciences student.

About 200 student volunteers in CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences are helping to plan and run Ag Adventure.
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