Educators, agronomists, animal nutritionists, and truck drivers; these are some of the many careers a part of the agriculture community! Our Flat Aggie newsletter is dedicated towards informing youth on different agriculture related topics. This year’s series informs students on a variety of agriculture careers.. Each issue will focus on daily responsibilities, educational requirements, and fun facts. Students will travel with Flat Aggie to a farm or ag business to explore the day in the life of a local industry professional. The Flat Aggie Adventures series includes pork, dairy, turkey and careers. Through this lesson, students will use STEM based skills to research and engineer their own Flat Aggie. Our Flat Aggie Adventures newsletter series can be implemented into core curriculum through a variety of different ways and can be utilized for students of all ages. These newsletters include information about agriculture careers, informing students of a new career path or passion that could intrigue them, while also introducing new vocabulary terms and fun facts. Here’s a few ways you can incorporate Flat Aggie in your classroom: Bell ringers! During transition time, like taking attendance or collecting homework, you can display Flat Aggie on the overhead or print copies and ask the students to independently read or in a group setting spur off some short fun facts or questions to your students. This will get them in an engaging, educational mood to help transition to the next task. Some example bell ringers for our first edition, Communication Careers, would be: Q: What is Ag Education? A: Teaching of agriculture science, natural resources and land management. Joke: I am jealous of agriculture majors who become farmers... Because they always find a job in their field. Vocab or Spelling! Quizzing students on vocabulary terms, spelling abilities, or memorization skills are some great ways to start off the day. Students are able to challenge themselves by learning complicated words they find in the Flat Aggie series that relate to agriculture. Some great terms for students of all ages to attempt to spell or learn the definition of are: agronomy, animal nutritionist, ruminant, innovation, etc. Reading! During a designated reading time, suggest students to read our Flat Aggie series! Students can work on their reading skills while learning about new career path options and fun facts or jokes that can make the reading period exciting yet informative. Fun Games! There are plenty of great games focused on agriculture careers that can be informative and fun for students! Agriculture career pictionary is a great example of this. Students can learn about a variety of different careers they might not be familiar with while also having a great time with fellow peers. This link is a great option for Ag Career Pictionary for older students. You can find our Flat Aggie newsletter series on our website and in our monthly newsletters. A new issue will be released at the beginning of the month. Our first issue, Communication Careers, is available to download on our website. Let us know how you plan to incorporate Flat Aggie into your classroom. We hope it will inform and inspire students to pursue a career in ag. Standards met: w.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. R1.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. R1.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. 3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive. 4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival and growth. 5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers and the environment. Essential Concept and/or Skill: Adjust to various roles and responsibilities and understand the need to be flexible to change. Essential Concept and/or Skill: Demonstrate initiative, creativity, self–direction, and entrepreneurial thinking to produce successful outcomes. Additional ideas: Turkey Flat Aggie Series in November (Thanksgiving) Dairy Flat Aggie Series in June (Dairy month) Pork Flat Aggie Series in October (pork month)

The heated debate, would you rather carve a pumpkin or enjoy a slice of pie? I personally like to paint my annual pumpkin so I would have to say a slice of pie! When we think of pumpkins, we often think of the large and bright orange pumpkins suited for carving but did you know a pie pumpkin looks quite different? According to my quick Google search, there are over 50 popular pumpkin varieties! The pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash and was first grown in northeastern Mexico and southern United States. Pumpkins can come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Most pumpkins are orange but there are also yellow, red, white, gray, pale blue, green, etc. Farmers will grow different varieties depending on their intended use. Decorations: If you have been to the state fair, you probably saw the giant pumpkins! If you want to win a competition for the largest pumpkin, I suggest planting an Atlantic Giant! There are a few good varieties good for giving spooky vibes like, Blue Lakota and Crown Prince. Some pumpkins have lots of texture and are warty like the Warty Goblin. Cooking: Kabocha is a Japanese pumpkin that is good for baking! It is delicious in soups or roasted! The Casper white pumpkin has a dense orange flesh and is perfect for making pies! The Long Island Cheese is also a pumpkin known for baking with. Pumpkins used for cooking have a lot of flesh. This is the part attached to the skin. Carving: A large and not very heavy pumpkin is good for Jack O' Lanterns. Less weight means less pulp to remove! Win, Win! Autumn Gold and Harvest Moon are great varieties to carve with! Okay so you are probably saying, well this is great and all, but now what do I do with this information? Here are 10 classroom ideas to implement today! We have video and book recommendations, complete lesson plans for ages PreK-5th grade, activity sheets, recipes, crafts, science experiments and more! Check it all out below. Visit our website to learn more about our program! www.linncoag.com! Resources 1.How does it grow? Pumpkins: Great video for all ages! 2. Pumpkin life-cycle lesson plan October | mysite (linncoag.com) Students will gain a broader understanding about agriculture and will learn about the life cycle of the pumpkin. 3. Pumpkin Jack: composting lesson October | mysite (linncoag.com) Students investigate the phenomenon of decomposing pumpkins as a part of the plant's life cycle. 4. Pumpkin and squash activity mag 5. FarmChat Through Buchanan County - Pumpkins 6. Pumpkins, not just for Halloween lesson plan Matrix Lesson (agclassroom.org) 7. Pumpkin pie in a bag recipe October | mysite (linncoag.com) 8. Recommended books: All about Pumpkins, The Great Pumpkin, Pumpkin Circle, Pumpkin Jack, and How many Seeds in a Pumpkin? 9. Pumpkin dissection 10. Taste test: pumpkin seeds, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie, etc.

It’s that time of year again: color changing leaves, jack-o’lanterns, pumpkin pie, harvest, and… Armyworms. Fall Armyworms are extremely rare and unpredictable pests that typically reside in southern states. Fall Armyworms love to feed on a variety of different plants including grass, hay, corn, and soybeans. These quick growing bugs aren’t picky about their meals. These pests can significantly reduce the yield and influence on small farmers, causing a decline in both quality and quantity of this year's harvested crops. While these little caterpillars may not seem like a big deal, it’s affecting local farms more than one might think. In Linn County alone, dozens of farmers' fields are covered in Armyworms. These nuisances were sent to Iowa due to the late tropical storms and hurricanes down south, bringing swarms of Armyworms right towards our fields. Armyworms love to feed on foliage in tall, unmowed grass, meaning they’re covering local hayfields. When the foliage is consumed, the plans will rapidly dehydrate, causing damage that resembles drought damage. It’s commonly recommended that for heavily damaged hayfields, fertilization is key for successful future hay crops. If there’s currently a large infestation in a close-to-ready hayfield, cutting the field is a good option. Resting pastures and restricted grazing is suggested for damaged pastures. There are a variety of different insecticides recommended for Fall Armyworms that can help prevent and manage them. Fortunately for farmers, Fall Armyworms can’t survive even the mildest of winters, causing them to migrate down south once the warm weather starts to dwindle. Unfortunately, this means we still have a few more weeks before these pests are gone for good. For more information visit Armyworms invade Iowa hayfields (iowafarmbureau.com)

Agriculture is the backbone of our nation and one of the most diverse career paths in the world. All throughout history, agriculture has been learned, taught, failed, and remodeled for success. As time went on, we’ve implemented agriculture into our education systems in order to continue to develop agriculture, guiding youth towards a successful future in agricultural careers. On September 16th, Linn County Education Outreach hosted a giveaway over Facebook with a prize of two agriculture books and a t-shirt! The winner of our giveaway was: Natalee Offerman-Havel. This giveaway was hosted in celebration of those who are helping form the future of agriculture. Teaching the basics of agriculture and farming help connect the farm to the consumer, but also brings awareness to how agriculture is a sustainable industry. We hosted this giveaway because we believe in the importance of teaching agriculture in our homes, schools, and communities. Agriculture provides connections to math, science, and social studies concepts in many different ways. Teaching agriculture in classrooms allows real-world STEM opportunities that can inspire youth’s future either by going directly into that career or simply informing others. Even if a student doesn’t go into an agricultural career, the skills they’ve learned within these agricultural lessons and activities can be implemented into their everyday lives and future careers.

On Wednesday, September 15th, and Thursday, September 16th, Education Outreach Coordinators from all across Iowa got together to discuss how to make a successful brand. The Elevate Conference brought together Farm Bureau employees from all counties to help increase our community impact. Tips and tricks were shared with these participants on how to improve social media views, FarmChat equipment recommendations, and how to improve video editing skills. Fellow Outreach Coordinators shared their own experiences with hosting events, giving others new ideas on giveaways, events to host, or activities to include in classrooms or social media that might increase interaction rates. Participants left this conference with tons of new information, new connections, and plenty of motivation towards improving Education Outreach. The information learned at this conference was extremely useful with both new and current employees who all have a common goal of wanting to expand the community’s knowledge on agriculture and doing this successfully. #TeachAg!

Good afternoon! With the start of a new school year, I thought It would be timely to chat about the benefits of inviting an informal educator to visit your classroom. Our particular outreach mission is focused on teaching agriculture but the benefits of having a classroom visitor extend far past just one topic. According to Google, "informal education is a general term for education that can occur outside of a structured curriculum. Informal education encompasses student interests within a curriculum in a regular classroom, but is not limited to that setting. It works through conversation, and the exploration and enlargement of experience." Below are 5 benefits of partnering with an outreach educator! But first, meet the educators behind Linn County Farm Bureau: Morgan Hibbs has been with LCFB for 4 years and oversees the day to day AITC outreach activities. Morgan farms/resides in Johnson County with her husband, Tyler and Son, Dean. Paige McGovern has been with LCFB for 1 year and assists with AITC lessons, communication and outreach activities. Paige is currently a full-time student at UNI where she is studying child psychology and journalism. Okay I have made you wait long enough! Here are 5 benefits of partnering with an outreach educator. 1.New experiences! Many outreach educators provide real-world activities and opportunities for exploration. For example, we offer a chick hatching unit every fall! 2. Hear from the experts themselves! Inviting career experts or guest presenters for specific lessons is a great idea. We offer FarmChat through our outreach program. Students have the opportunity to have a live Q/A with a real farmer. 3. Connect the Iowa Core Standards to real-world examples. Make learning relevant with students by showcasing how that standard might be used in everyday scenarios. For example we did a FarmChat with ISU football to learn about maintaining the grass field. We explored ways math and science are used daily by the ISU staff. 4. Outside opportunities bring a new perspective to the classroom. We offer workshops in the summer for local teachers to experience Iowa agriculture. Below is a picture of a field trip to a local farm here in Linn County. These opportunities are sure going to be remembered! 5. It is a fun experience for the students! Here is what a few of our participating teachers have to say: "I love being able to provide our children with science topics that are more local to our area." "The outreach program exposed kids to topics they have never heard of before. The program provides new experiences and the activities are hands-on." "Any time my kids can hear from a guest speaker whom brings in hands-on learning and high level of engagement is a win in my book." Contact us today teo learn more babout our prog ram and thank ylou We offer workshops in the summer for local teachers to experience Iowa agriculture. Below is a picture of a field trip to a local farm here in Linn County. These opportunities will be remembered!

Hello friends! I am sitting down to write this post on a beautiful Monday afternoon. The sun is shinning and there are fluffy white clouds hanging in the sky. Dean, my 9 month old, has reminded me to slow down and appreciate my surroundings. It is so fascinating to watch him take in new sites for the first time. We went to the dog park last week and Dean was so curious about all of the four-legged creatures running around. It is so cute to see him light up with excitement. Speaking of excitement, that is exactly what I feel when I think about the upcoming school year! We begin our monthly lessons tomorrow and I feel so blessed to be heading back to the classroom. I can't wait to visit with students in person! We have many great resources to offer for the 2021/22 school year. Our resources include both in-person classroom visits, virtual lessons, and online resources. Our mission is to increase youth awareness on the importance of ag, ag careers and the benefits provided by ag throughout an individual's life. To help accomplish our goal, we offer classroom visits, complete lesson plans, FarmChats (virtual field trips), career presentations, teacher workshops, publications and hatching! PreK- Elementary Offerings: 1. Monthly schedule: Experience agriculture in your own classroom by inviting Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach to visit your classroom once a month. Visits typically last between 30 and 45 minutes. Lessons are Iowa Core aligned. 2. 4th grade units (by request): Fall (soil): Four 30 minute lessons. Students will explore soil components, soil particles, erosion and weathering. Spring (plants): Four 30 minute lessons. Students will experiment with seed germination and parts of a plant. 3. Harvest kit in partnership with ISUEO-Linn County (by request): A fun fall curriculum for 3rd-5th grade classrooms. Learn all about farms and harvesting from local Linn County Farmers. The kit includes lessons that cover corn, soybean, pumpkin, apple, hay and straw harvests. Each kit provides hands-on lessons and activities, books and samples. 4. Publications (by request): My Family Farm Series, Iowa Ag Today Magazines, Flat Aggie Adventures (dairy, pork and turkey). 5. 21 Day Hatching Program in partnership with ISUEO-Linn County (application process): Curriculum for grades K-1. 6. Virtual lessons 2021/22 Virtual Learning | mysite (linncoag.com) 7. Flat Aggie Adventures Newsletter Series Flat Aggie Adventures | mysite (linncoag.com) 8. Pizz-A-Thon Pizz-A-Thon | mysite (linncoag.com) Students will work in groups to research and develop a presentation about where their pizza ingredients come from. Classrooms will be provided a kit that includes materials about pork, dairy, beef, vegetables, and wheat. The program will run for four weeks. ​ ​ Middle and High School Offerings: 1. Classroom visits: 30-60 minute lesson/presentations by request. We have lessons that teach about soil, water quality, renewable energy, food safety, GMOs, hydroponics and more. ​ ​ Offerings for all ages: 1. FarmChat®: Take a field trip without leaving the classroom. Through FarmChat®, we can visit a farm or agriculture business with the use of virtual technology. Pre-recorded links: FarmChat® Friday Recordings Available! (linncoag.com) 2. Career presentations: Interested in bringing agriculture into your career days? Invite us to present to your students. 3. STEM Fests/Enrichment Days: Invite us to your school's STEM Fest or Enrichment days. ​ ​ Offerings for Teachers: 1. Summer Professional Development: Two-day professional development workshops for teachers will be offered throughout the summer and around the state by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and partner organizations. The workshops will help teachers apply Iowa Core standards including social studies, and science in the context of agriculture. The workshops will also use agriculture to teach other core concepts and skills like language arts and math. The workshops will be hands on and interactive with one day of site visits and tours and one day of practical classroom application. Many STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts will be integrated throughout. 2. Newsletters: Our monthly newsletters will serve as a place for: updates, upcoming Our monthly newsletters will serve as a place for: UPDATES ̴ UPCOMING EVENTS ̴ BLOG POSTS ̴ NEW LESSONS! events, blog posts and new lessons. 3. Grants: Visit Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation's website to learn more. ​ Email Morgan Hibbs at mhibbs@ifbf.org if interested in one of our programs.

This summer we went live on Facebook from local farms and ag businesses to share the story of the diversity in Iowa agriculture. FarmChat® is a unique program that utilizes technology (Skype, Facebook, FaceTime and other software platforms) to bring the farm experience directly to the community. The series is now available for teachers to utilize in their classrooms. FarmChat® is a great virtual alternative to in-person field trips that still provides a new experience. Take the students on a tour of a farm or agriculture business without leaving the safety of the classroom. Bagge's Strawberries: Bagge Strawberries FarmChat - YouTube Seven Cities Sod: Seven Cities Sod FarmChat - YouTube Farmhouse Flowers: Join Morgan as she takes us on a tour of her cut flower garden! - YouTube Iowa State University Jack Trice: Jack Trice FarmChat - YouTube All about Pork: Pork FarmChat - YouTube Crop Spraying: FarmChat Friday: Spraying - YouTube Our summer series was brought to you by: River Bend Ag In The Classroom, Delaware County Farm Bureau, Linn County Education Outreach and Buchanan County Farm Bureau. Here is the link to our 2020 FarmChat Friday series Free FarmChat® Series Available for Classrooms! (linncoag.com)

This summer we conducted FarmChat Fridays in partnership with Buchanan County Farm Bureau, Delaware County Farm Bureau and Riverbend AITC! We covered topics on pigs, crop spraying, sod, fish, strawberries and more! Check out the recordings on our Facebook page @linncoag! Iowa agriculture is more diverse then what first meets the eye. One type of farming that I knew very little about was growing sod. We embarked on a journey to find out all the details! First stop: Seven Cities SOD. Seven Cities was founded in 1966 when Norman Frye was looking to diversify his farm. Seven Cities is a 650 acre farm near Davenport, IA. They grow a low mow blend of Kentucky Bluegrass that consists of four different varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass seed. In 1993, they incorporated "big roll" production which helped decrease the amount of hand rolling and physical labor needed on the farm. About 1- 1.5 inches of sod/soil are harvested. The roots of Kentucky Bluegrass expand out to the side and not down so majority of the roots are left undamaged and can easily re-root in the new destination. It is best to harvest when the temperatures are a bit cooler but it is still important to install as soon as possible, especially when the temperatures rise above 70 degrees. The harvester is similar to a knife that slices bread. It slides under the grass and below the roots. The machine then rolls it into a bale and the farmer can then move it with a skid loader or tractor. Most of the farm is irrigated to help keep the grass green and healthy. Fertilizer is also applied throughout the growing season to maximize plant growth. Seven Cities plants in a crop rotation of grass and soybeans. This helps fixate nitrogen in the soil to a form the grass can use the following year. It also increases the microbial activity in the soil. To watch the video visit: Seven Cities Sod FarmChat - YouTube Second stop: Iowa State University After learning about what it takes to grow sod we thought it would be awesome to chat with someone from an athletic field to explore maintenance. Who better to chat with then specialists with Iowa State University! Josh and Adam gave us a tour of the outdoor field, indoor and outdoor practice field and equipment shed. In the 1970s Jack Trice was actually a synthetic turf field but in the 90s, Iowa State thought it was best to have a real field being that it is safer for the athletes and ISU is an agriculture school. The current sod was installed in 2008 but ISU is in the process of growing the sod to be used in the coming few years. Maintenance is a daily job! Instead of increasing yields like in row crops, they are looking to increase footings or root depth. Soil tests are done on a regular basis to determine how much fertilizer needs to be applied. The soil is a sand base which helps with drainage. We don't want a clay soil because when it rains it is important that the field drains quickly. This will help protect the field when athletes are running across. Sand soil is less compactable and encourages the roots to grow deep. The grass is mowed often and therefore the field is painted before each game. Josh and his team ensure the field is painted the same for every game by following a GPS map that is created in the beginning of the season. Check out this soil sample, overtime some of the paint seeps into the soil and dyes the sand particles. Making sure the field looks perfect for each games is a lot of work but it makes it all worth it when the football players score a touch down and the field is viewed all over TV! Being in the middle of the football field at Jack Trice Stadium was such an amazing opportunity. If you want to learn more check out our conversation with Josh and Adam! Jack Trice FarmChat - YouTube

Farming is a universal and essential career that can vary in each country, state, and city. Each farm is entirely unique to its crops, livestock, soil, style, and overall experience. During the last weekend of July, I had the opportunity to experience the difference in farming across several western states. As I traveled through Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, I learned how different agriculture is compared to Iowa and how even cities right next to each other can have entirely different farming experiences and results! Weather The first and most obvious agriculture difference between these western states and Iowa is the contrasting climate. In Iowa, we have plenty of crazy weather patterns like weeks with constant rain, tornados, sudden temperature drops, and spikes, etc. During this time of year, states along the western coast often experience droughts and wildfires, which remains no different this year. I have always heard about the experience and effects of wildfires in these areas, but it was entirely different to see it with my own eyes. On the first day of my trip, I was able to clearly see the mountains on all sides of me, but you could notice a slight “fog” in some areas in the distance. By the time I left (merely four days later), it was nearly impossible to see the mountains closest to us due to the amount of smoke and approaching fires. The majority of the farms and fields seen had large irrigation systems due to the lack of rain. The fields without these suffered from no growth at all and were barren fields of dirt. Due to drought taking over several states, farmers have to be cautious of their water usage, which is already concerning considering the desert state many of these farms reside in. Terrain Another clear difference between the west and midwest is the terrain. While Iowa isn’t totally flat, its hills are no match for the mountains many of these farmers must endure. The ground most western farmers plant on is the valley between mountains. This area is often surprisingly flat, making the planting and harvesting experience not too different from Iowa’s. However, the journey between fields or field-to-farm is arguably the most difficult part. The roads in this area can be fairly windy with the only option being to travel up steep, windy mountains. This can be an issue for many agriculture employees like farmers and truckers. These drastic inclines and sharp turns make it difficult and especially dangerous for large equipment to travel through. Another issue with this is the distance between towns. When traveling from Wyoming to Idaho, we could go as long as a few hours before seeing another town. This can be an issue when farmers are attempting to travel for agriculture products or purposes and make the farming experience all the more difficult. Crops The most common midwestern fields have corn, soybeans, and hay. These are also common in the west, but wheat, potatoes, barley, and sugar beets are even more popular. The dry, barren, and more rocky soil allows for these crops to grow better than in other areas. Each state had these crops, but the growth and state of the fields depended on the more recent weather patterns. In southeast Idaho, for example, wheat fields were growing tremendously and the potato fields were beginning to flower. Once we traveled farther down the state, however, fields with the same crops were only just beginning to sprout and were struggling in some areas.

On July 14 and 15, 2021 fifteen local teachers participated in Growing STEM on Iowa Farms, a two-day workshop held in Independence, Iowa. The theme, technology on small and large farms, was explored through engaging tours and interactive speakers/lesson ideas. On day one participants toured Lindsay’s Dairy, a modern Holstein Dairy Farm, Grimm’s Peony Farm, Hillside Partners, and the Wapsi Mill. One teacher expressed her interest in the diversity of ag, “I appreciate the representation of all types of ag during the two days. It was great to see a broad scope of the agriculture in our state.” Day two was all about connecting what we learned during the tours to real-life application in the classroom. Denise Schwab presented on the STEM principles she uses daily in her position as beef specialist. Ryan Gibbs discussed the use of drones in agriculture and and demonstrated how he uses the technology to spray, spread cover crop seeds, and crop scout. Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and local ag in the classroom coordinators helped bridge the gap between agriculture and the classroom with fun hands-on activities. Growing STEM on Iowa Farms was made possible through a partnership between Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, Linn County Farm Bureau, Delaware County Farm Bureau, Buchanan County Farm Bureau and supporting sponsors. For more information about upcoming workshops, email Morgan at mhibbs@ifbf.org.

Center Point Urbana Schools started a gardening club in 2019 with the goal to involve the community. Since then, a garden has been created in Fross Park where variations of fruits, vegetables, and herbs have been planted, tended to, and grown by the CPU gardening club - Pointer Planters. On July 13th and 15th, 2021 this group hosted a gardening workshop for daycares, families, and summer programs. Children of all ages participated in the fun and educational activities. I had the opportunity to host one of the six different workshop stations to expand children’s knowledge on pollination, gardening, and other factors of agriculture. The stations available to participants included seed identification, garden art, storytime, pollination, sensory search, and seed bombs. The seed identification station showed students a variety of seeds that have been planted throughout the garden. The participants attempted to identify what the seeds were, where the plants were in the garden, and even got to dissect some! With the garden art section, students painted pictures using plants, flowers, and vegetables grown right in the CPU Community Garden! Potatoes, carrots, kale, basil, and other herbs and veggies were used to stamp and paint creative images. For storytime, I was given the opportunity to read a variety of agriculture stories that explored pollination, crop growth, livestock, and more. Some of the most loved stores were “So You Want to Grow a Taco” by Bridget Heos, “Achoo! Why Pollen Counts” by Shennen Bersani, and “Who Grew My Soup” by Tom Darbyshire, along with many others. While I read these informative books, students colored, ag-related pictures. The pollination station was one of the most exciting ones according to participants. Students each received a bag of Cheetos and a paper bee ring. The children acted as bees, traveling around the garden and dropping “pollination” (the Cheetos) onto “flowers” (paper bags). Students learned how important pollination is for plants to grow and got to enjoy their tasty leftover “pollen” after the job was done. The garden sensory search taught students about different forms of plants that have grown in the community garden. Using clues and descriptions given by the Pointer Planters, students scavenged the garden to find the plants in question. By doing this, students were able to use different senses to discover and learn more about the plants. The final station, seed bombs, used ingredients of soil, clay, water, and wildflower seeds to create their seed bombs. After creating their seed balls, children can throw them in various areas - their yards, gardens, ditches, etc. - and watch their wildflowers grow! All of the stations throughout this garden workshop were great, memorable hits that kept students involved and informed. Participants left these workshops with plenty of goodies, crafts, and new knowledge that have certainly peaked their interest in agriculture.