Wyoming Farm Bureau “Ag Books for Kids” 2020 winners announced
June 2, 2020
Building the collection of agriculture reading materials in Wyoming elementary libraries so students can learn more about the importance of agriculture is the goal of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Ag Books for Kids” project.
This year county Farm Bureaus across the state donated 694 “Right This Very Minute” books by Lisl H. Detlefsen to Wyoming elementary schools as part of the WyFB YF&R Committee “Ag Books for Kids” project. The students then had the opportunity to participate in a contest to show what they learned about agriculture. The 2020 contests included: Coloring Contest for kindergarten and first grade; Poster Contest for second and third graders; and a Marketing Ad Contest for fourth and fifth graders.
According to Tracy Neidig, WyFB YF&R Committee Member, helping students better understand how food goes from the farm or ranch to the table is rewarding,
“So many people have no connection to a farm or ranch or know where their food comes from,” Neidig said. “Children soak up new and exciting things easily and enjoy learning, and Ag Books for Kids is the perfect way to show them where their food comes from.”
2020 Contest Winners
When schools across the state closed in mid-March, the decision was made to continue the contest. Many schools had submitted their entries prior to the deadline. We appreciate all the teachers and students who participated in the contests. We would also like to thank the Farm Bureau volunteers for working digitally to ensure the contest would continue.
Students from across Wyoming were recently recognized for their participation in the 2020 WyFB “Ag Books for Kids” contests. The state winners in each of the three contests all received a $50 gift card from the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and an agriculture book titled “Right This Very Minute.” The book was signed by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. The state runner-ups in each of the contests received a $25 gift card and an agriculture book.
Coloring Contest
Trayden Taylor, a kindergartner from Crook County, was the state winner of the coloring contest.
Tilly Neves, of Big Horn County, was the state runner-up. She completed first grade with Stephanie Smith at Burlington Elementary School.
Poster Contest
Camille Draney, of Lincoln County, won the state poster contest. Wilcox completed 2nd grade in Britani Erickson’s class at Afton Elementary.
The state runner-up was Kelli Anne Blake, from Fremont County. Blake’s second grade teacher was Christine Rakisits at St. Margaret’s Catholic School.
Marketing Ad Contest
Lincoln County fourth grader Dane won the marketing ad contest. Dane completed the 4th grade in Ann Willford’s class at LaBarge Elementary.
Rylee Dockery, of Fremont County, was the state runner-up. Dockery completed the fifth grade at Jeffrey City Elementary with teacher Scott Hemingway.
In its sixteenth year, the “Ag Books for Kids” program is a project of the WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Committee. Throughout the years, 8,801 books have been donated to elementary school libraries by the county Farm Bureaus. The grassroots efforts of the county Farm Bureaus who donate the books and help educate about agriculture contributes greatly to the program’s success. The program’s purpose is to educate children about agriculture and its importance to us all.
“This year, I believe we all realized the most important thing we should be focusing on is educating children on the importance of maintaining a permanent and effective agriculture industry,” WyFB YF&R State Chair Chelsea Baars stated. “As we have all seen, our society depends on a solid and steady food supply chain to meet the simplest of our daily needs. Communicating this importance to the next generation is critical – now, more than ever!”
Source: Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation
