On Friday, April 29, students from various schools around the county were invited to attend the Agriculture (Ag) Day held at Madison County Central School’s practice football field.
With informative and interactive booths for Ag related topics such as corn, livestock, forestry and produce, students were able to learn more about the farming and woodland basics that make up Madison County.
At the corn booth, students were invited to try freshly popped popcorn before moving on and marshmallows were passed out to the students at the livestock booth.
However, after learning that marshmallows are an animal by-product, a few students that had been previously eager to accept the sweet treat, turned down the offer to sample them.
In and around a pen, cattle and horses were available to be observed by the students and a few took up the opportunity to try their hands at cracking a bullwhip. The task proved more difficult than they thought, resulting in entertained giggles from their classmates.
Near the front, the forestry booths informed students about the large vehicles that are used in the forestry industry and Madison, Dixie and Lafayette County foresters, Jim Fleming and Jared Beauchamp helped students get a basic grasp in tree identification. Students were invited to take pamphlets that would help them further learn how to recognize the various trees around them.
At the peanut booth, a large peanut combine was on display, its deep spikes for tilling and digging the peanut roots out of the earth evoking interest in the students.
With many of the county’s students taking part in the day that was sponsored by the Madison County Farm Bureau, the event was clearly a success as students were able to learn more about the county they live in and the agriculture within it.