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Students at Moorefield Intermediate School learned about where their food comes from during a visit by representatives of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture in honor of National Agriculture Day March 19.
“It is critical that today’s children develop an appreciation of what is involved in putting food on their plates every day,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “American agriculture is taken for granted because food has never been in short supply in this country. However, we must not lose sight of the importance of our farmers and the natural resources they rely upon to produce the food that fuels our nation.”
WVDA Poultry and Environmental Coordinator Christina Richmond and Microbiologist Kriston Strickler read “All In One Cookie” by Susan Goldman, and mixed up cookie dough to illustrate the book’s concepts. They also presented the school library with $440 worth of books about agriculture and conservation.
As Strickler read, Richmond added ingredients, which included, according to the book, “Two days of hard work by a New Hampshire hen (eggs), one teaspoon of the Pacific Ocean (salt), [and] one teaspoon of a dried Wyoming lake (baking soda).”
“The reception by the kids was great. They were very interested in agriculture and asked a lot of questions,” said Strickler.
“Hardy County is the top county in the state for agricultural production, and many of these students will become West Virginia’s producers of food and fiber in the future,” said Commissioner Douglass. “But we must make sure that agricultural education opportunities remain available to them.”
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
“The Basis of All Wealth is Agriculture.”
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