A Kernal Today, A Bushel Tomorrow: Educating Elementary Children About Corn in Hopes of Growing a Better Future.

In the spring of each year, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Crops and Soils Club participates in a Farm Day event for about 500 elementary school children.  This event is hosted by Alpha Zeta, an honorary agricultural fraternity, and is held at the University Lab Farm.  Different student organizations from the College of Agriculture have demonstrations that teach the kids about different aspects of agriculture.  The Crops and Soils Club educates these children about corn.  Starting with a hands-on feel of the corn kernels, they learn how corn is planted, grown, and harvested.  We teach them that corn can be used for many things including biofuels, livestock feeds, and food products.  At the end of the demonstration, the kids have a chance to grow a soybean seed (because it germinates better than a corn kernel) in a little bag with a saturated cotton ball.  This little bag is attached to a string and can be worn as necklace.  The seed will germinate in 3 days, and the kids can transplant them into a larger pot.  The UW-River Falls Crops and Soils Club hopes that this interactive activity will ignite an interest in agronomy which the elementary students can use in the future to have a positive impact on agriculture.