Consumer Outreach
Taking Farm Life to Texas Schools
A Texas co-op is helping to make sure that school children know the food and clothes they buy don’t just magically appear on the shelves of their favorite store.
Students see a sheep shearing demonstration during this year’s Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Ag in the Bag program at Texas Tech University. (Photo By: South Plains Electric Cooperative)
That’s the goal of a day-long educational program called “Ag in the Bag,” which has exposed thousands of urban and suburban students to farming and ranching over the past decade.
“Lots of kids no longer have family connections on the farm, so this is a great experience for them,” said Lynn Simmons, manager of communications at South Plains Electric Cooperative, Lubbock.
The program, sponsored by the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, was launched in 2000, and has been supported by the co-op since the beginning. Since 2003, it has been hosted by the college of agriculture at Texas Tech University for three days in October. About 4,500 fourth-grade students participate in the program each year.
“The kids get the opportunity to see a cow being milked, learn about water conservation and see demonstrations on crop production including cotton, sorghum, wheat and corn,” said Simmons. “It’s important that the kids understand their involvement in agriculture—that their food, clothing and some of their fuel are all produced on farms and ranches.”
The co-op not only underwrites some of the program’s expenses, but some co-op staffers also volunteer to work with the students, said Simmons. “We feed the kids lunch and help support the program so the experts can concentrate on their presentations.”
Simmons serves as chair of a chamber committee that oversees the program and has helped link the program to the social studies and science classes at local schools. She was recognized as the chamber’s volunteer of the year during the organization’s annual meeting Nov. 30.
“This is a great way to give students a chance to learn about the important role agriculture still plays in the Lubbock area’s economy,” said Simmons. “That’s why South Plains Electric Cooperative is happy to support the program that keeps kids connected to our farming and ranching heritage.”