LCC HOSTS 2012 AGFEST

Kiowa County Extension Agent Bruce Fickensher illustrates ground water drainage to interested students.

Lincoln County CSU Extension Agent Travis Taylor demonstrates the concept of leverage to students.

Lamar Community College Ag student Bo Karney shows students the amount of bacteria left on their hands after a thorough washing in LCC AgFest Microbes & Bacteria activity station.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lamar, Colorado, April 30, 2012)  Lamar Community College proudly hosted the 2012 AgFest in the Wellness Center on Monday, April 23 for over 150 students from school districts across Southeastern Colorado. The event was originally created by Colorado State University Extension Agents in Eastern Colorado in 2010 to educate elementary school students about agriculture and the science of food production, exposing them to scientific experiential learning and agricultural career opportunities. Today, AgFest engages upper elementary students and teachers in a learning experience that positively impacts knowledge and awareness of agriculture and sparks interest in agricultural occupations. This year’s event included hands-on learning activities in:

• Bee keeping

• Dairy production

• Embryology

• Farm & tractor physics

• Global Positioning System (GPS)

• Ground Water

• Microbes & bacteria

• Plant Science

• Range ecology

• Ruminant digestion

The activities were designed to make challenging science concepts easy to understand. For instance, at the farm & tractor physics station, students experimented with pulleys and levers to learn about lifting loads and multiplying force. Students were also introduced to a cow’s four-chambered stomach, good versus bad bacteria, hatching chicks, plant germination, and insect life cycles. LCC Ag student Bo Karney presented on microbes & bacteria on behalf of LCC.

Food production is the second largest revenue source in Colorado. Despite its prominence in state and local economies, children have become disconnected from how farmland is related to production agriculture. Schools are a likely forum for teaching young students about agriculture and the science behind food production. However, science lessons rarely focus on agriculture. AgFest provides standards-based science lessons that also engage students in hands-on learning.

For more information regarding AgFest at LCC, contact Agriculture Instructor Danielle Wollert at 719.336.1628 or ag@lamarcc.edu.