March 7, 2008
Agriculture Industry Volunteers Asked To Read For Agriculture Literacy Day
Florida agriculture industry volunteers are asked to register to read for Florida Agriculture Literacy Day 2008 by visiting Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc.’s web site http://www.agtag.org.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2008, and hundreds of farmers, ranchers, growers, agriculture industry representatives, University of Florida IFAS Extension and 4-H agents, FFA teachers and students are invited to read a special children’s book developed in honor of this year’s event.
“These Florida Farms” is a children’s book developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Marketing to celebrate Florida Ag Literacy Day’s fifth anniversary.
The Department’s Gary Seamans and Mike Wright wrote and illustrated, respectively, the rhyming book that chronicles the adventures of two students who follow a safari guide from a grocery store to farms around the state to learn about the different commodities produced in Florida.
“Writing a children’s book with Florida commodities seemed a fitting way to celebrate the anniversary of Florida Agriculture Literacy Day,” said Cara Martin, chairman of Florida Ag in the Classroom and assistant director of government and community affairs for Florida Farm Bureau.
“We’re excited about reading our own book for Agriculture Literacy Day this year, which is a great way to teach students who are several generations removed from the farm about the many commodities Florida farmers produce,” said Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson, who is a former agri-science teacher.
Florida Ag in the Classroom, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Commissioner Bronson partner together to host Florida Agriculture Literacy Day.
“Ag Literacy Day is Florida Ag in the Classroom’s most popular agriculture industry event,” Martin said. “We have more than doubled to 1,500 the number of industry volunteers who participate in Ag Literacy Day since it began in 2003.”
Registration for Florida Agriculture Literacy Day is available online at Florida Ag in the Classroom’s web site (http://www.agtag.org) for the first time. The registration deadline is Friday, March 28 for agriculture industry volunteers who plan to read on April 10. Please allow 10 days for books, lessons and packets for teachers and bookmarks and other goodies for teachers and students to be delivered.
Agriculture industry volunteers are asked to schedule their classroom visits at least two weeks before their readings. Though Ag Literacy Day is set for April 10, 2008, industry volunteers can read after that date. But Florida Ag in the Classroom asks that the readings be completed by the end of the school year.
Florida Ag in the Classroom is able to provide these Ag Literacy Day books, lessons, bookmarks and other items for free to agriculture industry volunteers because of the funding it receives from the sales of the Florida agriculture specialty license plate also known as the “Ag Tag.”
Florida Ag in the Classroom is a non-profit association based in Gainesville. It is charged with educating Florida students and teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade about the importance of the Florida agriculture industry.
For more information:
Lisa Gaskalla
(352) 846-1391
faitc@doacs.state.fl.us
