The ND FFA Foundation is committed to increasing agricultural literacy through meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities. Through a partnership with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the Ag in the Classroom Mini Grant Program provides funding for educators who help students connect with agriculture in engaging and memorable ways.
This year’s Experience Agriculture: Field to Fork event, hosted by NDSU Extension Ramsey County, gave fourth-grade students an opportunity to learn about the people, products, and careers that make up North Dakota agriculture.
Program: Experience Agriculture: Field to Fork
Teacher: Trisha Berg, NDSU Extension Ramsey County
Impact: Approximately 160 fourth-grade students
Purpose: To help students better understand where their food comes from while introducing North Dakota commodities, agriculture careers, and the connection between agriculture and everyday life.
Objectives:
- Introduce students to North Dakota’s major agricultural commodities.
- Help students understand how food is grown, raised, and produced.
- Explore careers in agriculture through interactive experiences.
- Encourage curiosity through hands-on learning.
Held at the Ramsey County Fairgrounds, students rotated through eight interactive learning stations featuring honey, legumes, dairy, oils, beef, pork, poultry, North Dakota grains, and careers in agriculture. Each station encouraged students to ask questions, participate in activities, and discover how agriculture touches their everyday lives.
One of the highlights of the day was meeting live farm animals. For many students, this was their favorite experience, giving them an up close look at the animals that provide food, fiber, and other products they use every day. Students also had the opportunity to climb into tractor and combine simulators, offering a fun introduction to the technology and equipment used on today’s farms.
The Ag in the Classroom Mini Grant helped purchase educational materials that brought each station to life. Students observed seed germination through clear acrylic display blocks featuring wheat, corn, and soybeans, explored the importance of pollinators with a beehive display, and participated in activities such as grinding wheat into flour and creating a “farm in a glove.” These hands-on experiences helped students better understand agricultural concepts by seeing and doing rather than simply reading about them.
The event was made possible through the support of volunteers from the Devils Lake FFA Chapter, Lake Region State College agriculture students, community members, and local agricultural partners who shared their knowledge throughout the day. Students also took home educational materials provided by several North Dakota commodity organizations, allowing them to continue learning long after the event concluded.
By the end of the day, approximately 160 students had gained a greater appreciation for the role agriculture plays in their daily lives, from the food on their plates to the many careers that support communities across North Dakota.
Through the Ag in the Classroom Mini Grant Program, the ND FFA Foundation and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture continue to support projects that make agriculture accessible, engaging, and relevant for students across the state. Events like Experience Agriculture: Field to Fork help students build a stronger understanding of agriculture while inspiring curiosity about an industry that feeds, clothes, and fuels our world.
