6 Wednesday, March 29, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Third-graders experience agriculture field day in Corvallis, says the purpose of her organization is to pro- Correspondent vide educators opportunities Central Oregon has a rich to use agriculture as “another agricultural history, but for lens in which to apply learn- many young people the con- ing in a variety of subject nection to farm and ranch areas.” life is much-changed from The event included third-, the past. That is part of the fourth-, and fifth-graders from reason Sisters Elementary throughout Central Oregon. School third-graders vis- According to Austin Miller, ited the Deschutes County education programs coordina- Fairgrounds for the Central tor for the Oregon Agriculture Oregon Agricultural Field in the Classroom Foundation, Day on Friday, March 24. “Agriculture is simply too Since agriculture is one of important for students to not the foundations of Oregon’s have an understanding of economy, there are count- where our food comes from, less academic applications how the environment works, within the industry. Jessica and how we use our state’s Jansen, executive director for beautiful resources.” the Oregon Agriculture in the Sisters Elementary School Classroom Foundation based teachers Kirk Albertson, Danielle Pulliam, and Deirdre Kanzig, along with eight parent vol- unteers, helped the students navigate the various stations which focused on many of the facets of agriculture. 2017 Oregon Dairy Princess Kiara Single was a favorite, sharing fun dairy facts and dem- onstrating “cow jew- elry” such as ear tags and necklace identifiers, while the petting zoo featuring a calf, a ewe and lamb, a pony and PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG horse, and was also a Journey Keeton grinds wheat grain using very popular attraction. Some of the stations a stationary bike. By Charlie Kanzig were very interactive, includ- ing a bicycle-powered grain-grinding station which included information of the health benefits on whole grains. Students learned how to more accurately under- stand how to read food labels to identify whole grains, and they enjoyed sampling whole- grain pancakes along the way. In a day where processed foods are the norm, students discovered more detail into the supply chain and where the food they eat and prod- ucts they buy come from. In a relay, students were tasked with identifying whether products came from the earth, the farm, the store, or the factory. Glenda Hyde, a Sisters resident who is a senior instructor for the Oregon State University Extension program, did a skit with the students about the relation- ship of hygiene to food safety at home, including proper hand-washing, how to clean different types of produce, appropriate refrigeration, and safe preparation surfaces. Many students climbed aboard a brand-new red Massey-Ferguson tractor, while also being educated about tractor safety, which even included learning that it is unsafe to text while Great hair doesn’t happen by chance. It happens PARK IT IN STYLE! operating a trac- tor. Students used their own birthdates to draw symbols in order to learn how ranchers brand ani- mals, including the wild horses in south- eastern Oregon. The Deschutes Basin Board of Control, whose motto is “Connecting PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG Oregon’s water, land, and environment,” A little hands-on activity... works with eight water districts in the region to with teaching and making help manage water conserva- sure everything was running tion, which helps protect fish smoothly. “The FFA students and wildlife through healthier stood out impressively” said rivers. Kirk Albertson. “They were It’s always fun to get to stellar.” bring something home from This field trip ties into a trip, and many of the third- other learning the third-grad- graders left the trip sporting ers have been doing with the seed germination necklaces Seed to Table program in which included a bean seed Sisters. The students recently wrapped in a wet cotton ball planted cilantro, beets, and contained in a tiny ziplock spinach that will be trans- bag. planted at the farm oper- At the Oregon Ag-Link ated by Audrey Tehan on the station, blindfolded students north side of town. A har- tried to identify Oregon- vest of some of the produce grown products such as mint is expected in June before and garlic by smell alone. school is out. Future Farmer of America “We are providing hands- (FFA) students from around on learning that will enhance the region, attired in their the students’ future educa- iconic navy blue blazers, tion as well as being practical played a vital role in the for their personal lives,” said success of the day, helping Danielle Pulliam. Not just a voice on the phone... Weʼre right here when you need us... by appointment. Bike racks... we’ve got ’em! 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