By James Brown
Glasgow News 1
Ag Education Week might be Dr. Andy Joe Moore’s favorite week. Moore is the Farm to School coordinator for the Barren County school district and longtime agriculture teacher at Barren County High School.
This week the school district is celebrating the statewide agriculture education initiative by giving students throughout the district hands-on demonstrations and programs related to farm work.
On Wednesday morning students at Red Cross Elementary learned from a cow-milking demonstration, they learned to milk a cow by hand from a plastic cow, they learned about livestock, and there were several other programs offered.
Children at Red Cross Elementary learn about milking a cow during an Ag Education Week event at the school on Wednesday morning. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
Moore said the statewide initiative began a couple of years ago and Barren County Schools participated from the beginning.
“Since then we realized just how important it is for a county like Barren County. Every school is surrounded by agriculture,” he said. “A large percentage [of the students] still have those ties to the farm and the ag businesses.”
Moore said they work with the principals at each of the elementary schools and with the FFA programs at the middle school and high school to organize the events for the week.
He said they also work with community partners to offer different types of programs for the children at the elementary schools.
“They donate their time to come do this,” Moore said of the businesses. “It’s a great week for everybody.”
“Today, the students are getting the experience of seeing a cow being milked, and get up close to livestock, we’ve got horses and pigs and sheep,” Moore said. “There are all kinds of different demonstrations throughout the week.
“We had the natural resources and conservation folks come out and do soil sample demonstrations; we had Kentucky Fish and Wildlife come out and do wildlife demonstrations. I would say every sector that represents Barren County agriculture is being represented at these schools some time this week.”
Moore said it was essential to have the different businesses and organizations participate in the week for it to be most effective.
Children at Red Cross Elementary get a hands-on demonstration of milking a cow during an Ag Education Week event at the school on Wednesday morning. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
“Everybody has those hidden stories that folks just don’t realize, the time and effort that goes into their specific job, and the expertise it takes to do their role as an agriculturalist or farmer,” Moore explained.
There have been programs at Hiseville Elementary, Temple Hill Elementary, North Jackson Elementary and Eastern Elementary already this week. The tour was also at Austin Tracy Elementary on Wednesday, and will make stops at North Jackson and Park City Elementary on Thursday, and be back at Park City on Friday. The week of education ends Monday with the mobile dairy unit and bees at Eastern.
A Barren County FFA member tells students at Red Cross Elementary about the different fur types of rabbits during an Ag Education Week event at the school Wednesday morning. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
A child carries his chicken while a couple of friends give it a pet during the Ag Education Week event at Red Cross Elementary on Wednesday morning. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
Key Facts
– Barren County Schools are participating in a statewide Ag Education Week initiative
– Dr. Andy Joe Moore coordinates the events as Farm to School coordinator and ag teacher at Barren County High School
– Elementary students are learning through hands-on demonstrations, including cow-milking with a plastic cow
– Livestock, soil, wildlife and other agriculture sectors are represented through visiting programs
– Local businesses and organizations donate their time to support the weeklong effort across the district
