Wow April was a wonderful whirlwind! It is hard to believe we begin round two today! Let me take you back to the beginning... Back in December, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Linn County (ISUEO) and Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach created a partnership with support provided by Farm Credit Services of America to offer a unique, up-close agriculture experience to kindergarten and first grade classrooms during the months of April and May. Classrooms are provided a kit that includes materials to incubate seven fertile chicken eggs. The program includes four classroom visits from program staff, support for teachers, and curriculum with cross-curricular activities, lessons, books, games, and resources. Interest in the hatching program exceeded expectations with interest spreading across Linn County. We had the opportunity to hatch chicks with 6 teachers from 5 schools during the month of April. We will increase our reach in May by visiting 9 teachers in 4 schools totaling our reach to 300+ students. The hatching program meets both Iowa Common Core Standards and National Agriculture Literacy Outcomes. Students participate in all steps of the 21 day hatching period beginning with the setup process. Through our program, students gain an understanding of the poultry industry and life cycle. Not only does this curriculum allow students to better understand living things and agriculture, it also allows the class to explore food and nutrition topics and ties easily into math, science, and literacy lessons. What are the teachers saying? "I hope we can have this experience for years to come! My class was the one that did the hatching, but we opened our door to the entire school and had most of the classes walk through at some point. It was truly amazing!" "It was a wonderful program all around, but I especially loved the curricular materials that came with the kit. It was awesome to tie reading and math to science." "Hatching kit had amazing high quality activities. Great read aloud and the life cycle eggs were AMAZING!" "Students anticipation to see the baby chicks has built their curiosity to learn and discover each day of the hatching cycle." Stay tuned for May updates! All of the hatched chicks will be donated to 4-H members, FFA students, or local farmers.

Wow what a fun couple of months! It might not feel like spring outside but it sure does feel like spring in the classroom! Students all over Linn County are learning about seed germination, soil, greenhouses and more. In March our second grade students began the spring season learning how important greenhouse production is to agriculture. Students explored the art of planning a garden, choosing plants, planning a layout, preparing the soil and planting the seeds. Students certainly gained real-world experience through hands-on planning and planting. This month second graders are creating a seed house. Students will observe the growth and development of seeds. They will compare the difference in germination between a corn and soybean seed. Two very important crops to Iowa agriculture. I had the opportunity to learn about the lesson "Mighty Soybeans" at a STEM event with Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation. This is a great lesson for upper elementary and middle school. Students reviewed the process of germination while observing the power of seeds in Plaster of Paris. Seeds need water and warmth to germinate and in this case the seeds absorb the water from the plaster mixture. This month fourth graders are learning about cover crops. A cover crop is grown during the cash crop off-season for the protection and enrichment of the soil. In this activity students learn about the importance of root structures by making their own "Cover Crop Monsters." Seed germination necklaces are great for all elementary students! Many students believe seeds need sun, air, soil and water to germinate but did you know seeds don't need direct sunlight? Instead they need the heat from the sun. Seeds also don't need nutrients from the soil until they have roots. We have done this lesson with pre-school, 2nd grade, and fourth grade. As you can see Linn County is learning a lot this spring. It is not to late to invite us to your classroom. Email Morgan Ball at mball@ifbf.org to learn more.

Crop farmers work directly with the soil so how do they celebrate Earth Day? We have highlighted 5 actions many farmers take to protect their land. Action One: On Friday we made cover crop monsters at Hiawatha Elementary. Students discovered that cover crops help provide protection and enrichment for soil during the cash crop off-season. In Iowa, rye (grass grown as a grain) is one of the most popular cover crops because of its quick germination. This little cover crop monster is sitting in my windowsill and has started to grow "hair." Fun fact about cover crops... not only do they protect the soil but they can also provide cattle with another grazing crop! Win Win! Action two: Some farmers choose to grow GMO crops. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. GMO is not a thing but rather is process. There are only 9 GMO crops currently on our grocery shelves. Arctic Apples (non-browning) have been approved but they are not commercially available yet. There are many benefits to genetically modifying- Disease resistance Increase in production Less food waste (celebrates earth day) Environment tolerant (less resources) Insect tolerance (resulting in less pesticides) (celebrates earth day) Action three: Technology advancements have helped decrease the amount of fertilizer that is applied to fields. GPS systems tell the farmer what areas on a field need more nitrogen and what areas need less. The right rate, time and place allows the farmer to be in control of how much is applied. Action four: Tillage (overturning the soil) options like reduced tillage, no-till, and strip-till have created an opportunity for farmers to plant new seeds in a field with residue left from the previous year. The Peterson Brothers say it best with their "In Love with the Residue" parody. Action five: We have seen an increase in conservation efforts across Iowa with added water-ways, buffer zones, terraces, and bio-reactors. Grass waterways are often installed in low areas where water travels. The goal is to create a natural filter that protects the soil from water erosion. Buffer zones are sections of grass between a cash crop and body of water. The grass acts as a natural filter. Buffer zones provide a habitat and allow rain water to adsorb into the ground naturally. Terraces are installed at a slope in a field. Terraces reduce soil erosion. Bio-reactors are put in place by bodies of water. The underground trench of wood chips help filter the water of nitrate-nitrogen. Just like you, farmers want their children to grow up in a safe and sustainable environment. How do you plan to celebrate Earth Day? :) Curious to know how livestock farmers celebrate Earth Day? Checkout Common Ground, a great resource with real conversation. http://findourcommonground.com/

80+ Fourth Grade Students participated in Pizz-A-Thon at Echo Hill Elementary. Tuesday, March 6, 2018 Sarah Russell and Ryan Kreher, fourth grade teachers at Echo Hill Elementary, hosted an annual Pizz-A-Thon event in Marion, Iowa. Pizz-A-Thon was founded 19 years ago by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach employee, Eldon Weber. According to the Pizz-A-Thon website, “Pizz-A-Thon is dedicated to teaching students about agriculture and where their food comes from. By doing this, we create a more educated workforce, some of which will go into the food industry and continue to feed American into the future.” Through the program, students work in teams to trace the ingredients on their pizza back to the farm. Each group was required to research wheat, two meats, three vegetables (including tomatoes) and cheese. Come time for competition day, Happy Joe’s Pizza donated all of the ingredients for each team to bake their presentation pizza. Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach was invited to coordinate judges. Thank you to the following judges for participating; Shelby Schaefers, Ag in the Classroom Coordinator; Vicki Keegan, community member; and Elizabeth Davis, Marion Hy-Vee Chef. Marilyn Platner, retired Linn County Farm Bureau OA, said, “It is always so fun to see this education ag event continue…those 4th graders learn so much about agriculture and this year they also showed computer skills with colorful presentations. Are you interested in learning more about Pizz-A-Thon? Email mball@ifbf.org.

Students, Friends and Family stormed the Linn County STEM Festival despite Iowa Weather! Tuesday, February 20, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) and Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach co-hosted a booth at the Linn County STEM Festival, an evening focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Linn County STEM Festival was brought to us in partnership by Southeast Iowa STEM Region, Cedar Rapids Community School District, Kirkwood Linn Regional Center and Workplace Learning Center. The annual festival offers community members the opportunity to experience STEM careers through hands-on breakout sessions, activity booths and conversations with local experienced professionals. Our activity, “Got Milk?” focused on the dairy industry. Students used conventionally pasteurized 2% milk and Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk to observe how different temperatures (room temperature, cool and freezing) affect the growth of spoilage bacteria. Students also learned about the importance of quality control and pasteurization in keeping food safe. Pasteurization is a heat treatment performed at the milk processing plant which destroys harmful bacteria without affecting the quality of the milk. Milk may be pasteruized to kill bacteria using a low heat method (145*F for 30 minutes) or a high heat method (162*F for 15 seconds). UHT milk is heated to at least 280*F for 1 to 2 seconds, then packaged in sterile, airtight containers, making it shelf stable. During the activity, students had the opportunity to compare the taste of fresh 2% to fresh UHT milk. Did you know? Bacteria can grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone.” Processes like pasteurization and UHT are put in place to destroy harmful bacteria. By using technology, we can extend the life of our milk products. Show what you know quiz: 1. What is a young female dairy cow called? A) steer, B) Bull, C) heifer or D) sow? 2. What does gestation mean? A) pregnancy, B) digestion, C) grazing or D) nutrition 3. What kind of animals chew their cud? A) dairy, B) bovine, C) ruminants or D) pigs 4. What does pasteurization mean? A) to kill bacteria by quickly heating and then cooling, B) allowing cattle to graze freely in a pasture or C) the process of putting milk in containers? 5. Which of the following is NOT a breed of dairy cattle? A) Holstein, B) Guernsey, C) Capybara or D) Brown Swiss? Answers 1) C 2) A 3) C 4) A 5) C

It is hard to believe the 100th day of school is almost here! Many of us will reach 100 on different days due to snow days, holiday break, etc. but how do you plan to celebrate with your students? I know how you can celebrate! AG STYLE!! Let's face it! Agriculture is AWESOME! My hope is that many of you are beginning to love agriculture as much as I do! The 100th day of school was always very fun as a student! There is something about the 100th day that feels very accomplishing. Especially as a elementary student, when time moves slower. The 100th day of school is very exciting! I remember my mom counting out 100 pennies, pencils, cotton balls, and paper clips with me year after year throughout grade school in celebration of this momentous event. I have a secret to share! I am a Pinterest guru at heart! I spend time pinning recipes, home decor, and holiday favorites but it can be consuming so discipline is key. Let me tell you...Pinterest has many great 100th day of school ideas! Why not celebrate with art? Food is agriculture. I had a tough time cramming all of my science ideas into the graphic above. The ways to recognize the 100th day of school through science are endless! Numbers + science= cross curriculum lessons. Math is a given. The holiday has 100 in it's name! The 100th day of school is math within itself. Modify story problems to share the story of agriculture. There are many STEM challenges that tie into agriculture but this one in particular is my favorite. Have the students build a tower using 100 packing peanuts made from corn. DYK, corn has over 100 by-products ;). Happy 100th day of school!!

I'm a by-product of ___________, and you use me to keep cuts and scrapes clean. Once you stick me on, I'll help you heal! What am I? Did you guess bandages? If yes, you are correct! Can you guess what bandages is a by-product of? Now it might take you a few guesses and there is probably more than one answer but if you said cattle, you know your ag products! Are you familiar with the sticky part? You know the part that stings like crazy when you rip it off? Yeah that one... well did you know the adhesive is a collagen-based adhesive made from cattle (and probably other animals)! On January 5th, Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach partnered with Marion Home School Assistance Program and Hy-Vee Dietitian, Brian Scheil to host a field trip. Together, we offered a wonderful opportunity for students within the Marion home school community. Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach Coordination, Morgan Ball, led a lesson during the first half of the field trip. Our lesson focused on primary and secondary products. Primary being the product or object already known and the secondary, otherwise known as a by-product, as the incidental product made in the manufacture or synthesis of something else. To me, this topic is so important. The Midwest supplies much of the United States agriculture commodities, including corn, soybeans, sugar beets, beef cattle, hogs, and poultry. The primary products from these commodities are essential to our survival but the by-products are a very important too. Many cosmetics, foods, bandages, brushes, clothes, and appliances are made from agriculture goods. To warm up, we played Who Am I. The challenge was to solve the riddles by naming the agriculture source and by-product. Questions were similar to the one I asked above. Students were then let loose in the store to explore real-world examples between primary and secondary products. Dietitian, Brian Scheil, followed the by-product activity with a great nutrition lesson. Students tried star fruit, turnip, and Ripple, green pea milk. I love when agriculture curriculum and nutritional lessons are paired together. They really go hand in hand. Understanding where our food comes from and knowing the nutrition can really help us to make smart choices. I had a lot of fun working with the Marion Home School Assistance Program! The field trip was such a neat and applicable opportunity for students. Lesson credit: Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It is Friday, only a couple of days until family gatherings and stuffed tummies. I am wrapping up the work week by sitting in my cozy office while holiday tunes play in the background. Students have gone home for holiday break and we concluded our last lesson for the semester earlier this week. Evaluations were sent to all participating teachers and I plan to take time before the first of the year to set goals and develop new lessons with all of your suggestions in mind. I have enjoyed the variety of lessons this month. Here are just a few of my favorite. Time for Cranberries: 2nd-4th grade Students worked together to discover how cranberries are produced. From farm to plate, the class explored geography, problem solving, and diversity in farming. Did you know? Cranberries are native to the United States? Today, majority of cranberries sold are consumed between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Media commercials portray cranberry farms flooded with water but contrary to this belief they do not grow in water. They grow on low vines in beds called bogs. Cranberries thrive in sandy soil and it takes 16 months to grow the perennial plant. Holiday Tree Farms: PreK-1st grade Students discovered tree farming as a sector of agriculture through exploring the life cycle of a conifer tree. We read an interactive story, "Once upon a time, a farmer planted a nursery full of young trees. And in a field full of seedlings stood a small conifer (trees that never lose their leaves) tree. Smaller than all of the other seedlings. She stood up very straight in her row, planted in dark, rich soil among the other little trees. This little tree wanted to grow tall enough to be picked by families during the holiday season." Each grade had a different activity to accompany the interactive life cycle story. Pre-school: Math lesson "Cover that number." Kindergarten: Science lesson "Life Cycle in a Bag." First Grade: Nutrition Lesson "Mr. Grinch." Where do grapes, bananas, strawberries and marshmallows come from? GMO Decisions: High School The purpose was to expose high school students to modern agriculture issues, scientific solutions and the outcomes of those decisions, while discussing the sciences of biology and biotechnology. Did you know? GMO stands for genetically modified organism. GMO is not a thing but rather a process. There are only 9 GMO crops currently on our grocery shelves. Arctic Apples (non-browning) have been approved but they are not commercially available yet. Students engaged in a levels of life organization activity, genetics review worksheet, GMO decision card game and a presentation. Supreme Seeds: 2nd Grade In this lesson students observed various types of seeds, was introduced to many uses of seeds, used their 5 senses to identify seeds, and made a seed mosaic. Did you know? Seeds provide us with new plants, oil, food, and fuel? Very festive and educational! Keep Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach in mind for next year. Be sure to connect with us via our website linncoag.com and through Facebook and Twitter. Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving! Iowa City farmer, Susan Young, shared her knowledge of turkey farming with elementary students through a FarmChat® live Facebook event. November is Thanksgiving, so Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Linn County partnered to host a live virtual field trip from a small-diversified turkey farm on November 13, 2017. Students met Susan Young, owner of Lucky Star Farm. This event was a time for teachers and students to checkout FarmChat® and experience a taste of agriculture. The program is a perfect complement to elementary life science standards and STEM learning. The live Facebook FarmChat® was designed for K-5 students, but the event was open to anyone who wanted to learn about turkeys and Iowa agriculture! Susan Young is a former teacher and a current Johnson County 4-H leader who is passionate about agriculture. Susan and her family manage 100 chickens, 14 turkeys, goats and a llama. It turned out to be a great afternoon in the field despite the morning fog. Beginning at 2:00 p.m., we introduced all parties and began with a brief background of Susan and her farm before she jumped in with how she cares for the turkeys. “Cool topic! My students enjoyed seeing and learning all about turkeys so close to Thanksgiving,” said a local teacher. Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Linn County will continue to offer this unique and real-world curriculum opportunity to other schools. Do you have topic in mind? Want us to come to your classroom? Email mball@ifbf.org. Link to turkey FarmChat®: https://www.facebook.com/LinnCoAg/videos/367016983726753/ Turkey Facts: 1. Male turkey is called a tom 2. Female turkey is called a hen 3. A baby turkey is called a poult 4. A group of turkeys is called a flock 5. Turkeys are actually living dinosaurs- they are closely related to Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Velociraptor. 6. Most domesticated turkeys are broad-breasted white turkeys. 7. Farm sizes vary from 5-20,000+. 8. Full grown toms can weigh more than 45 pounds. 9. Turkeys eat soybeans and corn. 10. Turkeys have a wattle under their beak and a snood on top.

Are you in a festive mood? I am! A warm pot of chili is simmering as I write. I am having so much fun integrating agriculture into fall lessons and I can't wait to continue as we move into November. This is probably my favorite time of year! So many fall agriculture topics complement Iowa Core Standards! Topic ideas: National Pork Month, corn and soybean harvest, changing leaves, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, technology changes as we hop in the combine, etc.! Below are a few fall highlights: 1. Pumpkins aren't just for Carving Author: Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation Target Grade Level / Age: 3rd through 5th grade Description: Students will get a broader understanding about agriculture and the use of pumpkins. Students will learn about the life cycle of the pumpkin and the pumpkin industry. Students will practice math skills with measurements and make a pumpkin pie in a bag. Many of their pumpkin drawings were orange and round but did you know pumpkins can be blue and flat? It was fun to watch their faces as I showed examples. 2. Bite into Apples Author: Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach Target Grade Level / Age: Preschool Description: Students will explore apples, apple trees, and the life cycle of an apple orchard through literature and hands-on activities to better understand plants and how they provide for us. Preschool students performed a sample test of three apples and used their five senses to distinguish the difference between texture, flavor, smell, etc. 3. Changing Colors of Fall Author: Linn County Education Farm Bureau Outreach Target Grade Level / Age: 2nd-3rd grade Description: Students will learn all about Iowa harvest. Corn and soybeans will be explored through real life examples and hands-on activities. 4. Antique Tools Author: Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation Target Grade Level / Age: 6th-8th grade Description: To learn about history and culture through the comprehension of antique farm machines and their present counter-parts. Students had a lot of fun exploring harvest antique tools. Want to see agriculture in your classroom? There is still time to schedule a fall lesson. Be sure to contact Morgan Ball at mball@ifbf.org to book a date.

Over 80 4th grade students from Echo Hill have participated in our Linn County Education Outreach soils unit. A big thanks to Mrs. Russel and Mr. Kreher for inviting Linn County Farm Bureau to partake in science class. We had a lot of fun interacting and educating the students about the importance of soils and the many benefits it provides us. Would you like to bring agriculture to your classroom? Checkout the lesson below and message Morgan Ball at mball@ifbf.org to set up a visit. Day one: students identified the components of soil by dissecting a sample to demonstrate that soil contains minerals, organic matter, air and water. Agriculture Literacy Outcomes: Explain how the interaction of the sun, soil, water, and weather in plant and animal growth impacts agricultural production. Recognize the natural resources use in agricultural practices to produce feed, feed, clothing, landscaping plants, and fuel. Education Content Standards 4-ESS2-1. Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. Day two: students determined the water holding and draining capacities of different soils and investigated how organic matter affects the amount of water soil will hold. Agriculture Literacy Outcomes: Recognize the natural resources use in agricultural practices to produce feed, feed, clothing, landscaping plants, and fuel. Education Content Standards 5-ESS2-1. Develop a model using an example to describe ways in which the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact. 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment Day three: students explored the rain drop splash (splash erosion) to determine its impact on bare soil, ultimately being able to visually identify types of erosion. Agriculture Literacy Outcomes T1.3-5.c Identify land and water conservation methods used in farming systems. T1.3-5.a Describe similarities and differences between managed and natural systems. Education Content Standards 3-ESS2-1 Represent data in tables and graphical displays to typical weather conditions. 4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time. 4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. DYK on average it takes 500 years to produce one inch of top soil? To wrap up our soils unit we discussed soil conservation techniques. No-till: Growing crops without disturbing the soil Strip-till: Utilizes minimum tillage Contour farming: Planting across a hill rather than up and down Conservation crop rotations: Growing a series of different types of crops Cover crops: A crop planted primarily to manage the soil "We are part of the earth and it is part of us... what befalls the earth befalls all of the sons of the earth," Chief Seattle, 1854. Illinois Ag Mag on Soil. Farmers are taking the steps to protect our soils as we carry on to the next generation. Let us all take the steps to protect our lawns, parks, and farm fields from erosion.

Shelby Schaefers, Buchanan and Delaware County Ag in the Classroom Coordinator, and I attended a two day STEM teacher workshop hosted by Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation. We had the opportunity to tour many great STEM related facilities but my favorite was the FarmTek greenhouses. FarmTek is a division of engineering services & products company founded in 1979. FarmTek offers farm supplies, chicken feeders, hay storage, barn fans, hog supplies, but the most unique is their line of greenhouses. I emphasized in Horticulture and learned how to grow vegetables in water during my time at Iowa State University but I wish I would have learned about hydroponics at an earlier age. It is such a neat concept that holds a wide variety of benefits. The actual meaning of hydroponics is "water works." The definition is the process of growing plants in a water/nutrient, rich solution without soil. Many plant species can be grown hydroponically but the typical plants are exotic flowers, and greenhouse plants like lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and culinary herbs. I am sure you are looking at the pictures and thinking well this is cool but how can I teach it in my classroom? The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation offers grants each year specific to agriculture education. If you can't get a hydroponic system in your classroom think about assigning it as a research project. Hydroponics can be taught in many core subjects. So how do plants grow in water? Seeds are sown in a water absorbent medium and are transported to the greenhouse as seedlings. The plants are in a controlled environment and are carefully monitored for nutrient and light levels, temperature, and pests. Plants need 17 essential elements to grow. Major macroelements include: nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. In addition to teaching about what hydroponics is- experiment with nutrient levels, dependent and independent variables, light levels, temperature, water conservation, and natural resources. Here are some sample interest approach questions: 1. What will happen if you take a nutrient away? 2. How does humidity play a role? 3. How many mediums are there to grow the plant in? 4. Does the plant grow normal size? Will it take the same amount of days to mature? 5. Will the plant absorb the same amount of nutrients? School gardens are a popping up all over and raising the food to eat in the classroom or during lunch is a popular trend. A similar model can be done when teaching about hydroponics; grow basil and turn it into pesto, make salsa from tomatoes, or create a Cesar salad. Extended ideas: -Transition to talking about markets. How would we go about selling this product? What would the label be? Could we make a profit? -Lead into other processes like aquaponics, combining conventional aquaculture with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment, and growing fodder for livestock. Fodder is dry hay or feed for livestock but the difference in conventional fodder and hydroponic fodder is the process and length. Hydroponic fodder grows in racks that are designed to produce forage using a 7-8 day cycle. One pound of barley seed can be turned into seven pounds of living forage. Teaching about hydroponics can be a fun way to tie in Next Generation Science Standards. Use this as a real-world example to engage students. Credits: Introduction to Hydroponics: Seed to Harvest ©2013 Harley N. Smith All rights reserved https://www.horizenhydroponics.com/files/education/Intro-to-Hydroponics.pdf