Students from Lee Elementary gathered around Buck Carpenter as he told the children about the tractor he owns and how it operates.
Ginny Paarlberg gave cotton to the students of Lee Elementary School. Some kids found some seeds and some students found all of the seeds. Some students even told Paarlberg they were going to plant the seeds and have a crop of cotton.
John Willoughby:
Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Friday, Nov. 17, Lee Public Library invited farmers throughout Madison County to bring their big equipment to have a farm lesson with the students of Lee Elementary School.
Beginning at 9 a.m., students from kindergarten through fifth grade spoke with members of the Farm Bureau and young farmers and ranchers about the importance of positive relationships between farm families and city residents. These farmers and ranchers teamed up with the Lee Library to spread the word of agriculture to around 270 students from the school.
Buck Carpenter was in attendance to talk to the students about a hay baler and what he does in his time as a farmer. David Agner, Logan Petrey and Brent Rowen from Generation Farms also brought some of their big equipment. Norabeth Carpenter, wife of Buck Carpenter, expressed why she enjoys being involved in agriculture. “The reason I’m involved in agriculture is so I can bridge that gap between farmers and our community.” said Carpenter. “I also want to teach the kids in my community that their meal just doesn’t come from the store down the street, it comes from a farmer who takes pride in his or her work.”
Madison County Farm Bureau Women's Chair, Ginny Paarlberg, was inside the library teaching about growing and picking cotton. The children were fascinated over the cotton; with how it starts as a bloom then dies back into a cotton bulb. Students had the chance to dig out cotton seeds; some found a couple, and some found all 25 seeds. For more information about this event, you may call the Lee Public Library at (850) 971-5665 or the Madison County Farm Bureau at (850) 973-4071.