Ag Day provides more than just fun

Tri-State Neighbor kids Hazel (front) and Penelope explore which pork products come from which part of the pig during the 50th annual National Ag Day held at the Washington Pavilion, Saturday, March 4.

For those of us around the Neighborhood, ag is a way of life. We know where our food, fiber and fuel comes from just like we know two plus two equals four.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that there are so many around our nation that are completely disconnected from our vital industry.

Which makes National Agricultural Day all the more important.

In Sioux Falls, the annual Ag Day is held at the Washington Pavilion, an event the Tri-State Neighbor is proud to sponsor.

Ag organizations from around the state came together to provide fun and engaging, hands-on experiences that help kids understand how food and fiber products are produced as well as to deepen their appreciation for the vital role ag plays in their day to day lives.

Each year for Ag Day, families pile into the Pavilion for the free event to learn the ins and outs of agriculture, make ag-related crafts and even try their hand at ag-related activities, including using a historic hand-crank corn sheller.

Attendees even enjoyed some delicious ice cream to go with a free lunch.

Then, of course, there's the super popular farm animals just waiting for, or perhaps more aptly, tolerating, a slough of pets and scratches. This year kids and grown-ups alike oohed and ahhed at baby goats, chicks and a pair of piglets.

Both editor Janelle and I have young girls close in age who have become friends over the last year and half or so. While it was delightful to watch my daughter Hazel and Janelle's daughter Penelope, interact with the exhibits, our girls have a bit more of a head start on their ag knowledge than many of their peers.

So it was just as exciting to see other families be excited to get hands-on ag experience. Watching kids’ eyes light up when learning cattle have four stomachs or giggle as they dug their hands into black dirt while learning how cover crops contribute to soil health made this farm-girl-heart happy.

It's estimated that most modern consumers are at least three generations removed from the farm and with that, their first-hand understanding of agriculture goes out the window.

Unfortunately, that has left the door wide open for misinformation to spread like wildfire.

For much of my life, I have considered myself a "bridger" of sorts, someone who is not only able to see both sides of most issues but converse easily with those on both sides.

I think that's why I particularly enjoy events like Ag Day because, like the role I often find myself in, they serve as a bridge between ag and non-ag worlds. I love seeing kids and adults alike make connections about how critical ag is as well as how beneficial it is.

Though if I’m honest, especially at six months pregnant, perhaps the ice cream is really the best part.

Melisa Goss, Assistant Editor for the Tri-State Neighbor, is a South Dakota farm girl whose love of travel has allowed her to see ag's vital impact around the world, from America's heartland to the rice paddies of Southeast Asia and many places in between. She makes her home in Hartford with her husband, daughter and miniature schnauzer. You can reach her at [email protected].

Daily Ag News and Market information from across the midwest.

Tri-State Neighbor Assistant Editor