LCC Hosts CSU’s 2013 AGFEST for Elementary School Students

Students at AGFEST at LCC

CSU’s annual AGFEST was held this past Wednesday for 225 fifth grade students from area schools.  Mick Livingston, CSU Extension Agent from Burlington, said several thousand elementary students from Rocky Ford, Hugo, Brush, Sterling, Holyoke and in Prowers and Bent County will view the displays focusing on different aspects of employment in the agricultural field.   

Basic Types of Farm Equipment and Safe Practices are Discussed

The AGFEST displays will continue until May 3, with teams of CSU agents, offering different aspects of agriculture studies, and how that can relate to a future job in the agricultural industry.  Students rotated among ten displays through the morning and afternoon, with each focusing on such areas as: pollination, microbes and food safety, power and simple tools, GPS in the workplace, water agronomy and plant science, ground water conservation, production of dairy products, embryology, Colorado agricultural diversity and range ecology. 

AGFEST helps fifth and sixth grade students explore the STEM basics of education which includes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math through hands-on educational workshops that correlate to areas currently being studied by the students. 

Projections show the population will double by 2050 which will put an added emphasis on increased food production in the U.S.  AGFEST incorporates current studies for food-production and related sciences which highlight industry areas that will be crucial for increased food production and to help educate our eastern Colorado youth to become informed citizens as they enter the agricultural job market.

By Russ Baldwin