Ag Day

Fifth graders attend Ag Day in Memphis

Sandy Anderberg on November 15, 2016

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Clarendon fifth graders, along with other surrounding towns, came together last Wednesday in Memphis to learn first-hand what Agriculture means to their towns and the people who live there.  Clarendon and Memphis take turns hosting the event and Claude, Hedley, Motley County and others participate.  An annual event for a few years now, Ag Day gives each student an opportunity to not only learn about agriculture, it allows them to learn hands-on. 

Donley County is steeped in agriculture, but many ‘town’ kids never get to experience what really happens in their farming community.  “Our Ag Day gives us a deeper knowledge of crops are grown in Donley County,” fifth grade teacher Melanie Shelton said.  “One of our students was even unsure of what agriculture really meant.  We are able to learn that agriculture not only means crops, it entails every aspect of rural life and multifaceted agriculture industry.”

The students were exposed to electricity, how a cotton gin works, the water cycle, and how many crops are used in foods and household items in everyday life.  The students also learned about erosion, something that Emma R. was very interested in.  “The erosion interactive display was really cool,” Emma said.  “We learned exactly what happens with soil erosion and learned how the trees and bushes helped keep soil in its place.”

Mrs. Lemons, who is also a fifth grade teacher, felt Ag Day was very beneficial to her students.  “This gives the students exposure to many different things agriculture related,” she said.  “Right now, we are studying erosion and the effects it has on our farmland.  We were able to see first-hand the process of erosion and what we can do to prevent it as much as possible.”

After a great day of learning about crops, erosion, electricity, and raising animals, the students were exposed to the Mobile Dairy Classroom from Sulphur Springs, Texas.  SouthWest Dairy Farmers provide students all over Texas with the opportunity to see how a cow is milked and to understand how the milk is transferred to the consumer.   This demonstration proved to be the highlight of the day for students and teachers.

Ag Day is a great opportunity to enrich the students’ knowledge of rural Texas and allows them to learn outside the classroom about real-life farming situations; something not a lot of students get to be a part of.

A special thanks to Memphis FFA and Josh Brooks for a great day.