Children Learning Agriculture
In our culture today we have a problem? We have a generation of people who do not know where their food comes from, where their clothing fibers come from, or how to work hard.
This problem has derived from the lack of children learning about agriculture. Children do not understand the importance of agriculture and then they become adults not even knowing simple facts of agriculture. With all this said, we will look at three reasons children need to be learning about agriculture.
Making a connection between their food and agriculture.
We all go to the grocery to buy our food. We walk down each aisle and make our choices without any thought a to how did that food get to the store. Children need to learn that just one part of agriculture is all the farmers who grow the food we buy at the grocery store. These farmers have spent their time, shed their blood, sweat, and sometimes tears to make that meat or vegetable grow. Ultimately children need to learn that without agriculture there is no food.
Understanding a work ethic.
Children in the 21st century are living in a technological world. Everything is about that electronic or game they can play. We are losing the sense of a work ethic . Children that grow up on the family farm ar far more likely to understand what it means to work for what you have. They understand the day to day tasks it takes to make an agricultural business successful. Even without growing up on a farm children can have the opportunity to learn this. By putting agricultural education in the schools children can learn from others what it means to have a work ethic.
Agriculture is full of opportunities
Does every child want to be a farmer? No probably not. What children do need to learn is that it takes many different types of people with many different talents to keep agriculture a thriving business. Children who love animals can grow up to be the farm veterinarian in there communities. Those who are good with numbers and biology could produce the chemical to get rid of a pests that can kill a farmer’s crops. There are even opportunities to become chemists, nutritionists, extension agents, and teachers. Agriculture can be a great field to work in and our children need to see these possibilities.
Children learning about agriculture can be a fun and exciting opportunity for the teacher and students. Learning to get your hands dirty and that a little sweat never hurt anyone is okay. The possibilities are endless in the professions of agriculture. Let’s give our children all the knowledge and opportunities we can.