FSA staff in Georgia coordinated events that introduced farm animals and hands-on agricultural education to over 1,600 students in the Metro Atlanta area.
By Jay Ivey, Farm Service Agency
In the midst of Metro Atlanta’s urban environment, agriculture may seem like a distant concept to many students. However, three events hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Georgia aimed to change that by introducing farm animals and hands-on agricultural education to over 1,600 students. Events at Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, Luther J. Price Middle School, and Lovin Elementary School brought the farm directly to the classroom, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of agriculture among the students, teachers, parents, and stakeholders.
Day 1: A Day at Chattahoochee Hills Charter School
Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, located south of Atlanta in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia, is renowned for its innovative approach to agricultural education, making it the perfect first stop for this series of events.
The day featured a tour of the school’s on-site farm and greenhouse, where local stakeholders and community members witnessed the school’s mission to connect students with agriculture and provide them with practical knowledge and skills in the field.
The event featured a variety of farm animals brought in by FSA, including goats, chickens, cows, donkeys, sheep, and a live honey extraction demo from a local honeybee producer. Students rotated through animal stations where they learned about each animal’s role on the farm.
The event ended with a meeting and Q&A session with parents, local stakeholders, elected officials, and community members interested in learning more about the resources USDA provides to increase agricultural education and food access in urban areas, including Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grants.
Day 2: Farm Day at Luther J. Price Middle School
Luther J. Price Middle School was buzzing with anticipation as a variety of farm animals were brought on school grounds. Located in the heart of Atlanta, many students at the school had never been exposed to the world of agriculture. One seventh grader exclaimed that he had, “never seen a cow in real-life before!”
Following the students’ interactions at the animal stations, USDA staff and local school system met to discuss ways to get students more involved in and excited about agriculture, including the FSA’s Youth Loan Program. FSA makes loans to individual young persons to start and operate income-producing projects of modest size in connection with their participation in 4-H clubs, FFA, a Tribal youth group, or similar agricultural youth organization. Youth loans are a great opportunity for students to acquire experience and education in agriculture-related skills and build useful life skills like developing a business plan and managing a budget.
These events brought the farm directly to the classroom, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of agriculture among the students, teachers, parents, and stakeholders.
Day 3: Agricultural Awareness at Lovin Elementary School
Lovin Elementary School in Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta, capped off the educational series with a similar event transforming the school grounds into a miniature farm for students to interact with a variety of animals.
In addition to exposing students to agriculture, this event provided the staff of Lovin Elementary School the opportunity to learn more about resources available to assist their current agricultural efforts, like their on-campus community garden, including the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) available through FSA. NAP provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters and is a valuable risk management resource to many community garden operations.
Inspiring the Next Generation
These events at Metro Atlanta schools are more than just fun days out of the classroom, they are essential to educating and inspiring the next generation of agricultural leaders. By bringing the farm to the city, programs like this bridge the gap between urban students and the agricultural community, fostering a greater appreciation for the hard work that goes into producing the food we eat every day.
More Information
Are you gardening or farming in an urban or suburban environment? Are you looking to integrate innovative production practices in your operation? Learn about USDA resources that can help you start and grow your operation.
USDA offers a variety of risk management, disaster assistance, loan, and conservation programs to help producers weather ups and downs in the market and recover from natural disasters as well as invest in improvements to their operations. Learn about additional programs.
For more information about USDA programs and services, contact your local USDA service center.
Jay Ivey is the outreach and public affairs coordinator for FSA in Georgia.
