- Meyersdale Area School District
- Overview
FFA celebrates Ag Literacy Week
MEYERSDALE - In celebration of Ag Literacy Week, March 15 through 19, members of the Meyersdale Area High School Chapter of FFA are working hard to take agriculture into the classrooms of their younger peers.
Share the Story of Agriculture is the theme for this year’s special week. The goal of this initiative is to have FFA members read a book in person or virtually to share with younger students the story of agriculture in hopes to plan the “first seed of knowledge about agriculture.
This year’s book was Tales of the Dairy Godmother, by Viola Butler. In this story, children learn about Chuck and his ice cream wish, while learning about agriculture and the role it plays in each of our lives.
Meyersdale Chapter members Lauren Kretchman and Abby Shuck, volunteered to read the story for MAES students. The pair was excited to share information about an industry they both feel so passionate about in hopes of bringing a better understanding for students about agriculture.
“It’s so important to be able to spread the knowledge about agriculture and where our food comes from. We hope sharing this book will keep them interested as they grow up,” explained Lauren Kretchman.
Abby Shuck echoed those sentiments and said “it is a good way to share all the hard work that goes into making delicious ice cream and all the hard work that our dairy farmers perform each and every day.”
This initiative is close to Shuck’s heart, as she is the 2020-2021 Somerset County Dairy Princess. Through this role and that of Meyersdale FFA Chapter President, she is committed to showcasing and supporting the agriculture industry in our region.
The following FFA students also read and recorded the book for the younger students to enjoy:
Jasmine Lasure, Emily Beal, Madison Dively, Hannah Emerick, Jimmy Kretchman, Bailey Knotts and Bridgette Beal.
Students in Kindergarten through second grade will each receive a copy of the book, along with an activity. The recording will be shared through Stacy Kucenic’s, Media Specialist, library lessons.
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau spearheads this project each year. For more information on Share the Story of Agriculture and Ag Literacy Week, please visit https://pfbfriends.com/ag-literacy-week/.