ULSTER COUNTY – The Ulster County 4-H Youth Program invites volunteers and classrooms to join us during Agriculture Literacy Week (March 16-20). Volunteers will visit local elementary schools to read and talk to children about New York’s agriculture industry. At the conclusion of the day’s activities, the book will be donated to the school library for students and teachers to use throughout the school year. Last year, they reached 1,362 through 51 classrooms.
Second-grade teachers and volunteers who are interested in participating in NY Ag Literacy Week should call or email Mary Lou Giuliano at (845) 340 – 3990 ext. 339 or mg257@cornell.edu. Visit the New York State Agriculture in the Classroom website (agclassroom.org/ny) to learn more about statewide activities and to learn about agriculture-themed books that have been featured in other years.
About the Book:
We are often hungry “right this very minute” throughout the day for breakfast, or lunch, or a snack. But do you ever think about what farmers are doing “right this very minute” to ensure we have safe, nutritious and delicious foods when we want them? Right This Very Minute: A table-to-farm book about food and farming connects the foods we find ourselves wanting during the course of a day to the work farmers are doing every day to grow, raise and produce our food. This book will take students on an explorative journey to trace the food on their plate back to its source- the farmer.
Contributing nearly $2.4 billion to the state gross domestic product and covering approximately 7.3 million acres, agriculture is vital to New York State. Ulster 4-H is excited to feature a book that displays the unique markets and diversity that encompasses many aspects of New York’s agriculture while also focusing on food production and how consumers contribute to agriculture.
Right This Very Minute: A table-to-farm book about food and farming highlights the story of agriculture with vivid illustrations and a community-centric storyline. Students will understand the importance of agriculture as an economic driver in communities across New York, and develop an awareness of where their food comes from and its journey.
Established in 1985, New York Agriculture in the Classroom (NYAITC) is a partnership of Cornell University, the NYS Department of Ag & Markets, the NYS Education Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the New York Farm Bureau. Its mission is to foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation of how we produce food and fiber, what we eat, and how we live, by helping educators, students, and their communities learn about and engage with agriculture and food systems.
For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County’s community programs and events go to http://ulster.cce.cornell.edu/. Stay connected to CCEUC-friend us on Facebook at facebook.com/cceulster and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at twitter.com/cceulster and Instagram.com/cce_ulster.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact the program office at 845-340-3990 if you have any special needs.
