I remember watching the 2021 Field of Dreams baseball game and hearing the announcer ask about the corn. He mentioned that it didn't look like sweet corn, and folks that is because it wasn't sweet corn. Less than 1% of the corn grown in Iowa is actually sweet corn. Majority of the corn we grow is Dent #2 field corn. Iowa is known as the corn state but less than 2% of our population is involved in producing that corn therefore it is not surprising that there would be questions. Many people remember the good ol' days when they would lace up their boots, slap on a hat, and head out to the field for their summer job of detasseling. I had a fair goer stop by our booth and ask me if we still detassel by hand and if we detassel all corn. Detasseling is the act of removing the pollen producing flowers, the tassel from the tops of the corn plant. It is a form of pollination control to increase variety potential by crossing or hybridizing two varieties of corn. Detasseling is only performed in seed corn fields. The corn that will be used for planting next growing season. Seed production is very highly monitored to guarantee seed purity and uniformity. Hybrid corn increases uniformity out in the field, it ensures the plants will pollinate and be ready for harvest all at the same time. Hybrid varieties also offer the opportunity for fast growing, drought tolerant and pest resistant characteristics. Detasseling machines remove about 85 – 90% of the tassels in a field. Manual labor is then needed to finish the field. By hand, tassels are removed by grasping the base of the tassel, breaking it, then pulling it from the top of the corn plant. Seed corn is planted in patterns or blocks of a 6:2 or 4:1 ratio; six female and two male rows or four female and one male row. We detassel the female rows. Corn plants have two separate flowers, the tassel makes the pollen and the ear of corn collects it. By detasseling the female rows, we are ensuring that the male rows pollinate all of the corn. This will create the future hybrid corn seeds that will yield high and have desirable environmental traits. The start began around 1910 when corn breeders experimented with crossing two high yielding corn varieties. Researchers found that an inbred (genetically pure) line had potential to cross with more vigor but still high yields, by selecting the traits we desire we can improve corn genetics. "Before hybrid seed corn, farmers would keep ears of corn that looked the best so they could use them to plant the next spring, but this took many years to see significant genetic improvements," according to Bob Nielsen, Extension corn specialist at Purdue University (Hybrid seed corn basics (farmprogress.com)). Only seed from the female parent is harvested to be sold as seed corn. Male rows are either destroyed after pollination is finished or are harvested separately, Nielsen says. 1933: Less than 1% of people planted hybrid corn 1944: Over 83% of people planted hybrid corn Through my research, I found that the average detasseling jobs pay about 15.00 an hour. Detasseling is great for a high school or college student looking for summer work. The season is relatively short! Here is a fun video showing the season of detasseling! Video showing the detasseling process: https://youtu.be/fHUHg6iCDKM

Howdy! Summer seems to fly by but there are also days when you are twiddling your thumbs, trying to keep your kids busy, am I right? My sister, Megan, and I both have flexible summer schedules and therefore we meet up almost daily. For the most part we walk, go to the park, visit the splash pad, etc. but it is our goal to try one new thing a week. I thought I would share with you a few of the fun treasures we have found locally! The Iowa Children's Museum: Their mission is to inspire children to imagine, create, discover and explore through the Power of Play! The museum offers a variety of different rooms including; a grocery store, pizza restaurant, hospital, post office, art room, space ship, aircraft, STEM, music and more! I was really excited to see the grocery store room connected to agriculture. Above the different isles, there were pictures of modern day agriculture pictures. For example, above the milk cartons there were pictures of dairy cows being milked in a parlor. They also had a farmers market which was neat. I loved that they showcased the diversity of Iowa agriculture. Dean LOVED the children's museum but I think he will get even more out of it in a few years. I would say the museum would be perfect for kindergarten through third grade students! Coralville Mall Play Area: OKAY YOU GUYS... Dean loved this play area as much as the museum haha but, you have to remember he is one. I loved the play area too, not only is it free but kids can run around in a small confined area. The jungle gym is soft and seems pretty safe for kids to climb on. The theme is Iowa City and I love that they included Wilson's Apple Orchard and corn fields! Definitely recommend if you need to do some school shopping. I would say the play area is good for toddlers up to pre-school age. Library programs/summer camps: Checkout your local library and extension offerings. Iowa State Extension and Outreach Linn County 4-H offers quality summer day camps in our community. The day-long camps are educational, interactive, and sure to keep your child's attention. Linn County Farm Bureau is partnering with ISUEO-Linn County and local libraries to offer fun agriculture activities. County Fair: Linn County Fair has wrapped up for 2022 but the Johnson, Jones, and Muscatine County fairs are just right around the corner. Fair is the perfect time for your children to interact with agriculture, particularly livestock. Most county fairs have a youth day where they will offer additional activities. Fair is my favorite part of summer! I love the festive and community vibes! Dan and Debbie's Creamery: Who doesn't love ice cream? Dan and Debbie's Creamery produces farm fresh dairy products including cheese curds, hand crafted ice cream, and cream top milk in Ely. Visit during a time when they are making cheese and watch through the visitor window! The family has a rich farming history and it is a neat one to check out! Let us know if you visit one of these places or if you have additional gems we should know about! It is always fun to share ideas with one another. Enjoy the rest of your summer and stay cool! Maybe cool off with some homemade ice cream... wink wink haha.

June 20-21, 2022, twenty-nine local educators attended “Ag Careers Connect to STEM,” a teacher professional development workshop in partnership with Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF), Linn County Farm Bureau, Buchanan County Farm Bureau, and Delaware County Farm Bureau. Ag Careers Connect to STEM, was a two-day workshop hosted at the Linn County Farm Bureau Office in Hiawatha, Iowa. Teachers had the opportunity to receive teacher recertification credit and graduate level credit. This fast-paced professional development gave teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth, the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Participants went home with activities and lesson ideas that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. We had a wide variety of both primary and secondary teachers, as well as a few subject specific teachers and other school staff. During the first day of the onsite workshop, participants ventured out of the classroom to learn about the agriculture industry first-hand. We toured Blue Grass Sod Enterprises, Inc. in Alburnett, Cara Dix’s family sheep farm in Mount Vernon, and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. Teachers enjoyed learning about the technology used on farms, how ag connects to STEM careers and ways to incorporate Iowa agriculture into their current curriculum. Josh and James, two instructors at Kirkwood, gave us a tour of the ag classrooms, student shop, beef farm, greenhouses, and test plot. Teachers also had the opportunity to drive a combine and/or sprayer simulator. The second day of the course focused on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners. Participants explored how ethanol is made, the many careers in ag, ways precision technology plays a role, and much more! We had the opportunity to check out the Iowa Corn Educational Trailer and hear from Tom Murray and North Linn FFA students! It was neat to hear about all the ways North Linn is incorporating raising livestock into their curriculum, right on school grounds. Learn more by visiting Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (iowaagliteracy.org)

In Iowa, beef cows are the second most popular livestock owned by farmers! It’s not uncommon to see herds of cattle grazing as you drive by an Iowa farm. . What is fairly uncommon, however, is seeing herds of bison in passing! This past week, we ventured out to Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch where we got to learn all about raising bison and the difference between bison and beef cows! Cows have been domesticated for thousands of years. At this point in time, cows rely heavily on humans for survival. Cows need help from farmers for many things, such as feeding, especially in winter months, or during calving season, where complications can arise like twins or milking struggles. Today, there are over 250 cattle breeds recognized worldwide. This leads to differences in the cow’s health, coloring, behavior, and flavor! There are many crossbreed varieties today as well for the best taste. In the past hundred or so years, farmers have attempted to domesticate bison. It has been fairly successful, as there are now thousands of bison farms around the U.S. However, bison are still considered somewhat wild, meaning they still have natural wild instincts, unlike cows. This means that bison aren’t quite as tame and still share some natural survival instincts, making it more difficult for farmers to care for them in the same way they do cattle. Thankfully, bison rarely need to be handled! They basically take care of themselves as they have for thousands of years. Bison herds don’t even need shelter and actually prefer to just be given a wide open pasture to graze and live happily. When put in enclosed spaces, bison tend to get skittish and can jump up to 6 feet in the air to get out of that space! Bison are also incredibly fast with the ability to run up to 40 miles per hour. Because of their agility, it’s important for bison farmers to have high electric fences of at least 6 feet to prevent any bison escaping. In the winter months, the bison’s diet will be supplemented with hay but they will also root under the snow to get to vegetation. They tend to have fairly easy calving seasons and rarely experience the birth of twins, which often cause complications with cattle. While cows have hundreds of different breeds, there are only two species of bison! There is the “wood” and “plains” bison which, although appear very similar, actually have stark differences! Wood bison bulls are often much heavier and taller than plains bison. They also have a much more square hump and a darker fur color. They have smaller, more pointed beards and little-to-no chap hair on their forelegs. Plain bison, on the other hand, are much stockier, lighter (both in weight and color) and have plenty of long chap hair on the forelegs. Plain bison also have frizzier, curlier hair on their heads and rounded beards. They also vary in location, with plain bison more traditionally being located in America and wood bison living in northern regions. It’s also important to note the difference between the terms buffalo and bison. Many people use the terms bison and buffalo interchangeable but we learned from Martha at Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch, that the term bison is the correct term and the nickname American Buffalo was given back when the settlers sailed to the Americas and one sailer, saw the bison and said “la boeuf” in french which means “the beef” and similar to phone tag, it eventually turned into buffalo but technically buffalo are water buffalo that live in Africa and Asia. Martha and her family are sure to clarify by calling their meat bison or American Buffalo. Another difference between beef cows and bison is the meat products that are derived from them. Bison meat is much leaner than beef, making it a slightly healthier option when compared to beef. Bison meat isn’t gamey but is often described as somewhat sweet. It’s also much more expensive than beef due to the lack of availability. Beef, however, has many more by-products than bison, which is often mainly used for meat and hides. There are thousands of byproducts derived from beef cattle, so almost all of the cow is used. While it may seem like these two animals are extremely different, there are plenty of similarities between beef and bison as well! Cows and bison share similar terminology, meaning they both have bulls, cows, heifers, and calves. These two animals are also very similar in genetics, dietary preferences and grazing habits. It’s fascinating to see the striking similarities and vast differences between the two creatures! After visiting this bison farm, one thing is certainly clear: don’t be surprised if you start seeing more bison farms around here!

Howdy! Happy SUMMER! I thought I would hop on here and catch up with you all! It is always bittersweet to wrap up the school year but I like to take this time to regroup and breath before jumping into plans for the upcoming school year! It is hard to believe we are wrapping up our fifth school year! We have planted ag knowledge, ignited ag interest, cultivated ag literacy, built agriculture leaders within our community and now we are celebrating agriculture by shining a light on our amazing industry! Our 2021/22 Ag in the Classroom Program was one for the books! We began with virtual lessons/Ag STEM kits and wrapped up the year with a full schedule of in-person lessons. Did you know for the past 27 years, Iowa has been leading the nation in corn production and top two for soybeans. Iowa is also ranked number one for pork and eggs. Iowa is a major ag state and yet less than 2% of the population is involved in production ag. Thank you to our wonderful teachers for partnering with us to bring awareness to the importance of ag and the benefits provided by ag. Our ANNUAL REPORT is now available! Check it out here! FARMCHAT FRIDAY SERIES This summer we will be partnering with Buchanan, Delaware and Scott County Farm Bureau to host a FarmChat Friday series! Be sure to follow our page for updates. We will explore how to raise buffalo, grow green beans, use technology to feed livestock and so much more! Our first video will be published on Friday, June 10th. STEM KITS More than 50 students are participating in our summer STEM Ag kits! This month we will explore the ways agriculture ties into baseball. Looking for fun and educational summer activities? Checkout our website for lots of ideas! IN PERSON ACTIVITIES: We are partnering with ISUEO-Linn County and Center Point Public Library to offer camp activities and story time! Paige has lots of fun ideas planned. Visit Center Point Public Library :: Center Point Public Library and Homepage | Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Linn County (iastate.edu) to learn how to participate. Did you know, June is National Dairy Month! Try out this fun recipe to celebrate!

As I’m wrapping up the last few days of my internship, I’m reflecting on how much I have learned and improved in the last 10 weeks. Coming into this internship I wasn’t really sure what to expect but I knew I was going to learn and experience a wide variety of things. I knew my main focuses during this 10-week period were going to be coordinating the Summer STEM kits, writing the next Flat Aggie series, and helping all of the counties with different projects. When I first started working on the STEM kits, Morgan and the other coordinators already had a theme picked out. It was my task to develop activities to include in the kits for the three months. I brainstormed different ways I knew agriculture was tied into sports. The first sport I had to think of was baseball. I chose to do an activity that explained how the equipment used at a baseball game is connected to agriculture. I also included an activity called ‘Cover Crop Monsters’ that l shows the youth how the grass that is used on baseball fields might also be used in a farmer’s fields to prevent erosion. Next I brainstormed what activities could tie basketball and football together. This one took me a bit longer but I eventually came up with the idea of having the kids learn about the importance of animal identification by making their own ear tag. The students will be able to draw the connection between the ear tag number and the number on a jersey in a game. Similar to how referees need to be able to identify the different players, farmers need to be able to identify their animals to keep them happy and healthy.. Lastly I incorporated all of the snacks that we find at sporting events. For this, I gave them a simple homemade ice cream recipe to make and along with that, a packing peanut experiment that will teach them about by-products. Two of the packing peanuts are made of biodegradable corn and two are Styrofoam. This will help students explore ways we use plants to make things around us more environmentally friendly. Along with these activities I gave them handouts that had different facts and information about agriculture and sports. My next main project was the Flat Aggie series. First I had to lay out the topic for each issue in the series. The theme for 2022 is the production of corn and soybeans. I decided on Tillage Practices, Planting, Life Cycles, Fertilizer, Harvest, and Storage. I then researched all of the different topics, found pictures, fun facts, and put a joke of the day on each edition. Once I had a pretty good start on them I sent them to Morgan so she could look them over and make some grammatical changes and give me some ideas on ones I was kind of stuck on. After making the changes I sent them to the other coordinators so they could review them and make any suggestions since they will be using them too. Then I made the final changes and I sent them out again. This was a little harder for me because I didn’t really know much about corn and soybeans besides the basics but everyone was super helpful with putting the right information in them. Overall this was a really great experience for me. It made me step out of my comfort zone, I learned lots of new things, and I was able to experience a variety of different schools and grade levels. It was fun to see the students learning about agriculture. For me, it was great to step out of my comfort zone, speaking in front of people, even if it is just preschoolers. Before this internship, the most public speaking I’ve done includes class presentations and giving a speech at my high school graduation. Through my time here, the classroom experience has helped me grow more confident in myself when speaking in front of others, although I do still get nervous. One of my biggest takeaways is that what I might think is common knowledge to everyone, isn’t for a lot of people because they didn’t grow up with the same experiences I did. Some kids might not even know that beef and dairy cows are different or know what a soybean looks like but to me those are obvious. Which also leads to one of my favorite things about this internship, being able to watch the kids be fascinated by things I wouldn’t think twice about. It made me realize that I was really fortunate to grow up the way I did and have the experiences I did. I would lastly like to say thank you to the Board of Directors; Rob, Morgan, Paige, Alaina, and Shelby for letting me be a part of the Ag in the Classroom Program. I thoroughly enjoyed everything I experienced and am extremely grateful for this opportunity. I know I will take everything I learned in these 10 weeks with me to my future job. Below are a few pictures of my time with the Ag in the Classroom Program.

All of us play an important role in the agriculture industry. From farmers to truck drivers to consumers; we are involved. Products are grown, produced, transported and bought; contributing to feeding and supporting families across the globe. May is National Beef Month, 31 days dedicated towards celebrating beef farmers and spreading awareness about the nutritional benefits of beef . To help honor this celebration, we are sharing some fun facts about beef cows and are encouraging you to inform others as well! Beef cows are most well-known for their delicious meats, like hamburgers and steak. Most of the time, only 64% of the whole animal is consumed, but with cattle, 99% of the whole cow is utilized for meat and other products. Beef cows provide us with millions of byproducts, and a few of them might surprise you. As many people know, leather is one of the top beef byproducts. Real leather is made from cowhide and is used for products like shoes, sporting goods and bags. Medical products, like ointments, anti-rejections, insulin, and even bandages which contain acids, organs, and other parts that come from beef cows! Cosmetics like make-up, lotions, and shampoos and conditioners also contain products derived from beef cows. Nearly every part of a cow is used to help provide the products we use on a daily basis, everything from the bones and hooves to the fats and intestines. The beef industry in the U.S. represents one of the largest single segments of American agriculture, with well over 900,000 cattle farms all over the country. 91% of these farms are family-owned and more than 28,000 of them are located here in Iowa! There are plenty of opportunities to share the story about local agriculture, like beef farming, with youth! At linncoag.com, there are many lessons that include informative yet fun activities for kids of all ages. We have a fun activity titled “The Amazing Beef Cow” that is geared towards preschool - kindergarten aged kids. Students will learn all about the difference between beef and dairy cows, become familiar with beef terminology, and will learn some more fun facts, like why farmers use ear tags. For additional beef resources, check out our FarmChat recordings. There are various clips on linncoag.com or on the Linn County Education Outreach Facebook page that offers virtual field trips to farms, like the Ball Family FarmChat, where students can see what life is like on a beef farm! Another classroom-favorite is My Family’s Beef Farm, a short book that informs youth on local Iowan agriculture while improving their literacy abilities. This book can be found read aloud via linncoag.com or can be ordered at iowaagliteracy.org. Beef farms are an essential part of our economy, our diets, and our country. Celebrate National Beef Month this May by supporting local beef farmers or participating in nearby celebrations! The Linn County Farm Bureau is hosting a giveaway to celebrate this month at Marion Fareway, where a customer can win a pack of t-bone steaks and more every Tuesday of the month! Sign up at the meat counter in the Marion Fareway for the chance to win! Visit our Facebook page or Marion Fareway to learn more.

Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd. It is important that everyone understands the positive impact we can all have on the Earth even by doing the smallest things. By changing even the littlest thing in our everyday lives we will start to conserve our planet’s resources even more. In agriculture, we are able to put many sustainable practices into place. Agriculture is very important in order to keep the population growing and keep everyone fed. Earth Day is a great way for farmers and other people involved in agriculture to showcase the practices they use every day to help keep the planet healthy. Farmers are able to use practices that save water, protect our land, and help wildlife. Farmers know how important our natural resources are so they do everything they can to preserve and not disrupt them. According to USDA and EPA data, farmers have cut greenhouse gas emissions from providing each of your meals by 24% since 1990. Farmers want to protect all aspects of the environment in order to grow the food and products we need to survive. For example, crop farmers may rotate the different crops they grow in order to replenish the soil with the nutrients certain plants are consuming. Many farmers also replenish nutrients in the soil by planting cover crops. Cover crops are crops planted in the off-season to replenish the soil and protect it from erosion. Also to help replenish the soil, farmers will use the manure from their livestock as fertilizer. By doing this they are minimizing nutrient pollution to water resources and helping build healthy soils. These are just a few of the things farmers do to protect our Earth. Celebrate Earth Day with fun agricultural educational activities! One way to show them how cover crops work is to make a cover crop monster. While making cover crop monsters the students will learn about germination, growth, root structures, and conservation practices. In order to make these, you will need a nylon sock, ryegrass seed, potting soil, small elastic hair bands, a plastic cup, and googly eyes. First, fill the toe of your sock with a teaspoon of grass seed and top it with potting soil until you have a ball shape, then tightly fasten it with a knot close to the soil. Next, form a nose and two ears securing them with an elastic band to hold them in place. Then, stand the ball in the plastic cup with the grass seed at the top and add the eyes or any other decorations you would like. Lastly, add water to the cup and keep it filled. The grass seeds will sprout in 3-4 days and make some wild hairdos! Once you are done, talk to your students about how the roots of the cover crop help hold the soil in place and also replenish the soil with nutrients as they decay. Also, livestock farmers may put their cattle out to graze the cover crops which reduces the supply of feed needed for them. Doing fun activities like this one teaches the kids how farmers are contributing to sustainable practices. The link below has more directions on the Cover Crop Monsters and also other activities.

Save the Date! Ag Careers Connect to STEM, an in-person workshop, is being offered by Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation in partnership with Linn, Buchanan and Delaware County Farm Bureau. The two-day workshop is being offered July 20 and 21, 2022 at Linn County Farm Bureau in Hiawatha, Iowa. The workshop will be available for teacher recertification credit and graduate level credit. This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the Iowa Core social studies and science standards. Participants will take home activities and lesson ideas that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. On day one we will be visiting Blue Grass Sod, Dix Family Farms, and Kirkwood Community College. Participants will explore how modern technology has improved the sustainability of Iowa agriculture while discovering the vast industry of agriculture careers. The tours will highlight the ways STEM is utilized in sod production, raising sheep and how it can be relevant to students in the classroom. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting standards to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners. Participants will learn about ethanol, supply chain, agritourism, Iowa history, STEM in agriculture, and more. Registration will open soon! Email Morgan Hibbs at mhibbs@ifbf.org to learn more!

What a fun morning with Abby Costello, Abigail Costello- Linn County Iowa Ms. United States Agriculture and Abigail Costello - 2022 Iowa Ms. Agritourism! March is #ReadAcrossIowa Month and what better way to celebrate than with royalty! Abby joined us for three Ag in the classroom lessons in which she read Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation My Family’s Soybean Farm by Katie Olthoff. Read Across Iowa is a special event held on the 1st of March 2022 and is celebrated throughout the month of March to help motivate kids to read. The month-long celebrations bring the joys of reading to students of all ages and make all children feel valued and welcomed. The 2022 theme is Farm to Table and what better way to celebrate than with the reading of an accurate agriculture story about a family here in Iowa. Abby holds many important titles but as she says, "farming is the one I am most proud of." Abby shared with the students the importance of supporting local farms through agvocacy and agritourism. According the website, "Miss United States Agriculture is an organization that encourages women in agriculture to teach and enhance the American Agricultural Story. Since the launch of this program agriculture advocacy has spread across the United States covering all ages!" The Miss Agritourism Queen acts as an ambassador and educator for the agritourism industry in their state. They educate on what sets their state apart and why tourism is so important. Agritourism is a commercial enterprise at any agricultural location, including horticultural and agribusiness operations, conducted for the enjoyment of visitors that generates supplemental tourism income for the farmer. Abby shared with the students 12 fun agritourism locations to visit here in Iowa! 1. Pride of the Wapsi, Long Grove 2. Bloomsbury Farm, Atkins 3. Wells Ice Cream Parlor, Le Mars 4. Bluff Lake Catfish Farm, Maquoketa 5. Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead, Princeton 6. Cinnamon Ridge Farm, Donahue 7. Hansens Farm Fresh Dairy, Hudson 8. Living History Farms, Des Moines 9. Colony Pumpkin Patch, Iowa City 10. Appleberry Orchard, Donnelson 11. Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch, Fredericksburg 12. Doe's and Diva's Goal Dairy, Honey Creek If you check out the farms above, let us know! We would love to hear all about it!

Read Across Iowa is a special event hosted throughout the month of March to encourage literacy in youth. Hosted and created by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, this month-long celebration offers plenty of resources for communities and motivates participation of families. Read Across Iowa is beneficial to participants in multiple ways. Reading in youth improves intelligence and success rates in future years. It’s also a great stress reliever and keeps kids’ minds active! Read Across Iowa not only encourages reading in youth, but also teaches participants about local agriculture! Learning about agriculture is extremely important for youth, as it allows children to learn about local careers, what agriculture is, and why it’s important for our economy and world. Learning about agriculture also contextualizes learning! Read Across Iowa offers agriculturally themed books, materials, and other resources that’s appealing for students of all ages. This event also offers kits, both hard copies and virtual, that offer multiple books and reading materials that revolve around the agriculture theme. This years 2022 kits offer the following: My Family’s Beef Farmer by Katie Olthoff Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin Right This Very Minute by Lisl H. Detlefsen The Kid Who Changes the World by Andy Andrews Sylvia’s Spinach by Katherine Pryor Read aloud tips Links to other activities Links to bookmarks with educator and parent tips These amazing, educational resources are still available virtually on the Iowa Ag Literacy website (Read Across Iowa (iowaagliteracy.org)) as well as the links to various virtual events. Live book readings, meeting the author, virtual tours and more are available throughout the month of March. Linn County Education Outreach also hosted a live reading on March 1st via Facebook, where Education Outreach Coordinator Morgan Hibbs read My Family’s Beef Farm by Katie Olthoof! Visit https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/LinnCoAg/videos/1591524294561316&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1646246854626887&usg=AOvVaw0aWP63Kp91ZWp7pZOXgwDU to watch now! Don’t miss these great events!

The 4-H STEAM Club provides local students the opportunity to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). Morgan Hibbs with Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach was asked to present at the Monday, February 21st club meeting on the topic of plant identification. The goal was to explore plant traits while tying in the element of art. Students had a blast identifying tree and plant samples, exploring different plant characteristics, and trying their hand at homemade wreaths! Students explored the differences between cedar, spruce and pine trees, different kinds of eucalyptus and filler greens. Morgan demonstrated the technique to designing a wreath with the correct mechanics and principals of design. Each student was able to take home the wreath along with more information about our Ag in the Classroom Program. What a fun night! Thank you for the invite 4-H STEAM Club! Try this activity at home by collecting the following supplies: wreath ring Wire Scissors or snippers Different evergreen and plant samples (We used spruce, pine, cedar and eucalyptus) Part 1: Place the samples in a ziploc bag with the labels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Create an identification key with the names. Students are to match up the sample in the bag to the correct picture in the key. Looking at characteristics such as leaf shape, color, size, texture, etc. Part 2: Make the wreath by following the rules of 3s. Here is a great tutorial!