The “Ag in Action” Trailer will educate the public about where their food comes from.
Submitted by Vickie Lane, Public Relations/Outreach Specialist, Alabama FSA
Agriculture is mobile in Alabama and it is bringing knowledge of the industry directly to the public.
The “Ag in Action” trailer is the state’s first agricultural learning lab on wheels. The enclosed trailer houses a transformed cotton picker cab and electronic learning stations, and allows children from kindergarten to middle school an opportunity to experience simulated farming at school, county fairs and local events.
“Our belief is that we as an agriculture community need to insure that the connection between the farm and everyday urban and rural life is not forgotten,” said County Executive Director Beth Farmer. “Students should have an opportunity to learn that their food and fiber comes from the farm.”
About 75 agricultural workers, educators, students, and agricultural enthusiasts gathered in Centre, Ala., for the ribbon cutting and unveiling of the “Ag in Action” trailer. The project was started by Cherokee and Etowah County and a committee of various area organizations, federal agencies and representatives from the USDA Farm Service Agency collaborated to get the project completed.
The cotton picker cab was donated by a local Etowah County farmer, and the Cherokee County Career and Technology Center’s department of electronics, welding, carpentry and auto body completed the project. The media department at the Alabama Farmers Federation assisted by preparing videos that are played in the simulator cab and transform students into farmers that harvest cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat.
Funding for the $32,000 project was supplied by grants from Coosa Valley RC&D and Alabama Mountains, Rivers, and Valley RC&D, along with additional donations.
