Montana Ag in the Classroom Students are Hungry for Knowledge

What if we lived in a world where magical creatures laid apples and fried chicken could  be plucked from a bush?

These notions are no more far-fetched than the ideas many children – and even adults – have about where their food, fuel and fiber come from.

Lorri Brenneman, with the Montana Department of Agriculture’s Ag in the Classroom program, has spent the last five years spreading agricultural literacy throughout Montana classrooms.

Reaching more than 3,000 teachers through either face-to-face trainings or outreach, the Montana Ag in the Classroom program has touched the lives  of thousands of children.

“By understanding the origin, processing and distribution of foods, they can make healthy eating choices that are good for themselves, their family, and farmers who grow our food,” Brenneman says. “They can also learn about how agriculture is integrated into so much of their daily lives, from food and fiber to fuel and pharmaceuticals.”

These lessons are designed to go beyond the classroom and educate the children’s families as well. Developing good eating habits as a family paves the way for a healthy adolescence and adulthood.

Montana’s Ag in the Classroom curriculum meets the state’s specific educational standards.

“When you are approaching busy educators who must teach to these standards, it is highly important to give them materials that they know are accurate and fit into their standing curriculums,” Brenneman says.

“So many really good reasons are right in front of us to make sure the abundance and high quality of food we enjoy is there for today’s families and the coming generations,” Brenneman says. “I feel this can be secured by an agriculturally literate society.”