BLOOMFIELD – Third- and fourth-grade students from Wausa Public Schools attended the Knox County Ag Literacy Festival known as Life on the Farm on April 25.
Nebraska Extension in Knox County hosted the annual event inside the Harm and Tulleys Event Center at the Knox County Fairgrounds in Bloomfield.
Approximately 320 students in the third and fourth grades from Knox and Cedar counties attended, according to the Knox County Extension Office.
The National 4-H Ag Innovators Experience was featured this year with four area high school youth who were trained in delivering the 2024 4-H Ag Innovators Experience – Protect the Plate Challenge.
Facilitating the program were Knox County Ag Facilitators Chloe Hanzlik, Niobrara, and Dylon Nilson, Creighton, and Cedar County Ag Facilitators Ava Stewart, Newcastle, and Breah Steffen, Hartington.
Through the activity, students in attendance learned how pest management on the farm is a crucial start to food safety.
Roger Sprakel, Crofton, presented on dairy production. He is one of the few dairy producers in the area. He brought in one of his dairy cows and explained to students that this cow can produce 80 pounds of milk every day. Roger also donated some tasty treats for students, including chocolate milk, cheese sticks and yogurt. Bloomfield’s Kaitlyn Byerly and Ava McFarland gave a presentation on goats. Kaitlyn brought in three of her favorite goats that she has raised to help explain to students how producers care for their livestock. Lane Johannes, a second- year student attending Mitchell Technical College in South Dakota, brought a drone from the school’s precision agriculture department to teach students that the emerging use of drones in agriculture is helping farmers become more efficient in certain areas.
Central Valley Ag and McGwire Mackeprang, Bloomfield, brought in a sprayer and some live demonstrations of the use of chemicals to teach students about the process and safety of using chemicals in crop production.
Each student had the opportunity to see the piece of equipment up close and experience the process of how and which chemicals are mixed together and why.
Dakota and Ben Vellek, Verdigre, presented on swine. Dakota brought one of his 4-H show pigs to demonstrate and teach students how swine producers care for their livestock.
He also explained the different breeds of swine and what those breeds are used for.
Beef production is a huge industry in the region and Wiley Ziegler, Bloomfield, brought in a Hereford cow-calf pair and presented information to students about beef production and on different breeds of cattle and how their needs differ.
Hanna Hake and Kurt Ziegler with Farmers Pride explained to students how important crop production is to Nebraska agriculture. They brought along some demonstrations that gave students the opportunity to learn about the productions of the most prominent crops in the state.
Each student left the festival with Life on the Farm knowledge and a bag full of information and activities.
