Gateway FS Contributes to the Education of Randolph County Students

The FS Seed Division of GROWMARK recently renewed its commitment to Illinois Ag in the Classroom programs with a check for nearly $59,000. The check was presented to IAA Foundation chairman Philip Nelson at a ceremony held November 19, 2009 in Bloomington.

“Although agriculture is constantly advancing and continues to be an integral part of our lives, today’s youth are becoming less and less exposed to it,” said Steve Barwick, GROWMARK senior vice president of marketing and operations. “In the past, it was common to have some link to agriculture in every family, either directly or indirectly. Kids today are becoming less conscious of the importance of agriculture and are not making the connection between how it is vital to their everyday lives.”

The FS Seed Division has provided annual contributions to the Illinois Ag in the Classroom program since 2003. One-half of the donation is used for direct grants administered by FS member cooperatives at the local level. This year’s contribution brings the six-year total to nearly $349,000.

On the local level, Gateway FS contributed $1,300+ for this campaign directly to the Randolph County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom program.

The IAA Foundation was established in 1987 to support educational, research and charitable activities which benefit agriculture, Illinois farm families, and county Farm Bureaus. Illinois Ag in the Classroom provides agriculture-based curricula for K-8 students and teacher training. The IAA Foundation supports Illinois Ag in the Classroom programs through a variety of annual fundraising and donations such as the one from FS Seed.

GROWMARK is a regional cooperative providing agriculture-related products and services and grain marketing in the Midwest and FS brand farm supplies and related services are also marketed to farmers in the northeastern United Statesand by GROWMARK subsidiaries. Additional information is available at www.growmark.com or from your local FS member cooperative.

In-Service and Activities

Free Workshop In-Service

Invite our State AITC Education Specialists to present a FREE workshop for the teachers at your school. AITC currently presents at 20 Illinois colleges, numerous school districts, and all Summer Ag Institutes for Educators. We offer flexible scheduling before or after school and on Institute Days The workshops include free print materials correlated to the Illinois State Learning Standards, fun hands-on "make and takes" activities, and even door prizes! Snacks are provided by our AITC Committee.

Contact us locally at 618-443-4511 / kendra.beattie@yahoo.com.

Lessons and Activities
(To access any of these materials click HERE)
Apples: Apple Chain, Apple Charm, Applo Blossom Tree
Beef: Burger Snacks
Biotechnology: DNA Bracelet
Corn: Corn Exports Visually, Tassel to Table Chain, Corn Pin
Dairy: Moo Masks, Dairy Farm Charm, Dairy Bingo
Earth Day: Circles of Earth Bracelet, Step 1 Diagram, Step 2 Diagram
Gardening: Garden in a Glove, Tomato Spinner
General Farm: Farm Charm, Harvest Seasons Mobile
Horticulture: Hardiness Zone Activity and Map, Agriculture Measures Up, Tops and Bottoms
Horse: Horse Charm, Paper Bag Horse, Handsome Horse, Measuring Activity
Illinois: Illinois Ag Charm, L is for Lincoln Lessons
Nutrition: Food Pyramid Activity and Abacus, Nutrition Mobile
Pork: Feed Snacks
Poultry: Egg Structure Project and Pictures, Egg Creative Writing
Pumpkins: Pumpkin Chain, Pumpkin Charm, Pumpkin Patch Pie, 3-D Pumpkin Craft
Soil: Soil Sam
Soybeans: Bean Book, Beanie Babies
Speciality Crops: 3-D Evergreen Trees, Berry Bucket
Water: Wter Cycle Bracelet

Printable AITC Materials
(To access any of these materials click HERE)
Speciality Crop Lessons / Nutrition Lesson Plans / Usable Land with Poster / Change for a Dollar
Enviro Ag Lesson / Ag and Paper Plates / Candy Culture Creativity / A Hog Ate My Homework
Horse Lesson Plans / Ag in a Plain Brown Wrapper / Beef and Nutrition / AITC Through the Seasons
Blooms and Gardening / Ag Ziplocs / Hungry Illinois Caterpillar / Our Favorite Things / Bio-degradable Bags
100 Days of School Agriculture / Almanac Activity Book / Ag Mgs / School Calendar / Green Eggs and Agriculture

AITC Materials That Can Be Ordered (to order contact RC Farm Bureau at 618-443-4511 or kendra.beattie@yahoo.com)
21 Ag Mag Editions / ABC's of Illinois Coloring Book / Soybean Crayons / Farm Fact Books / Lesson Plans

Randolph County AITC Activities
These Lab activities explain and provide pictures of the 20 activities that Randolph County AITC will share with teachers. The Ag in the Classroom Coordinator will in-serivce staff and/or teach your first class on any of these activities. To book a program or a kit, call Kendra Beattie, AITC Coordinator, at 618-443-4511 or email kendra.beattie@yahoo.com.

Grades K-5
Christmas Tree Farms / Corn Presentation / Corn Life Cycle / Pumpkin Patch Pie / Soaring Soybean
ISAT Ag Mag Practice / Making Ice Cream / Rivers and Barges, Soybeans and Lecithin, Chemical Use on Farms /
Cotton Activity / Farm Display

Grades 6-12
Making BioDiesel / Insects / Corn Ethanol Directions / Exhause Emission Lab Sheet / Illinois Agriculture
Kid Wind Variables, Wind

Randolph County Farm Bureau®

Our Mission: To improve the economic well-being of agriculture and enrich the quality of farm family life.

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