Sanders County students learn about agriculture
Bruce Beckstead teaches students how to make apple cider at Ag Days at the Sanders County Fairgrounds. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Dr. Stephanie McIntyre from the Thompson Falls Vet Clinic talks with students at Ag Days. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
John Marrinan from the Western Montana Cattleman's Association in Hot Springs talks with students about beef production. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Hay You Class with instructor Allan Hafner and student Cody Albano at Ag Days. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
A micro-greens class taught by Kassy Moore from Montana Wild Roots Trout Creek. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
Quinn Nichols in the Hay You Class at Ag Days. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
One hundred and twenty 3rd and 4th graders, including homeschool students from Sanders County, descended on the Sanders County Fairgrounds Thursday to learn about the many aspects of the agricultural world in Western Montana.
This was the first annual Sanders County AG days. The driving force behind the idea of an Ag Day in Sanders County came from Wendy Carr, an extension agent for the county and the organizer for this year’s event.
Carr said her desire for AG Days was to expose the students at an early age to the many aspects of the agricultural industry. Her first step in planning was to contact each school in the county to find out if anyone was interested in attending AG Days. The next question was, can we find sponsors for the event, and can we find volunteers to teach all the classes?
AG Days at the fairgrounds started out with rain and a thunderstorm, which seemed to be only a minor inconvenience to the students. The kids were separated into small groups to attend the many classes. The class offered were Micro Greens, taught by Kassy Moore from Montana Wild Roots out of Trout Creek. Garden to Plate, taught by Jeanette Allday from the County Extension Office. Hay You, the process of making hay taught by Allan Hafner, Haying equipment supplied by 3H Simmental Ranch. Apple Cider Making, taught by Bruce Beckstead. The Buzz on Pollinators, taught by Sarah Busmire and Emily Baker. Get Beefy, taught by John Marrinan, from the Western Montana Cattleman’s Association. Be a Doctor, taught by Dr. Stephanie McIntyre from the Thompson Falls Vet Clinic. Soil Erosion, taught by Amy Elkins from Plains and Adrina Larkins from Ronan. The Dorper Corner, taught by Carissa McNamara and Hayrides given by Frank Carr.
Sponsors for the event were Montana Farmers Union, Clearwater Credit Union, Sander County Extension Office, Western Montana Stockman’s Association, First Security Bank, and the local ranchers that donated all the hamburger and vegetables for the lunches. Carr also mentioned the many local volunteers that help make AG days successful.
