With the help of some special visitors, students at Port Dickinson Elementary had the chance to expand their knowledge of agriculture. “Ag in the Classroom” program educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Broome County visited the school to teach students about different educational concepts of agriculture. They also had some help from a few-day-old calf named Walnut (from Whittaker Farms in Whitney Point).
CCE educators worked with kindergarten through grade 2 students in multiple sessions from May 1 through May 3.
Kindergarten and first grade lessons learned about the calf, including its lifestyle, anatomy and eating habits. They also learned how butter is made from heavy cream and even had the opportunity to sample the final product with crackers. In addition, students enjoyed the chance to pet Walnut.
Second grade students had fun participating in a presentation about “newspaper gardens,” where they learned about seeds, soil and planting. They were able to plant lettuce seeds in their gardens to take home and grow on their own.
The “Ag in the Classroom” program is made possible at Chenango Valley Central School District thanks to the help and collaboration of New York State Senator Fred Akshar, Broome-Tioga BOCES and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County.