FARMINGTON – Elementary students poured into the Farmington Fair by the hundreds on a hot Monday morning with teachers and volunteers in tow, for a dose of education and fresh squeezed applesauce.
An annual offering, Agriculture Education Day has been held for nearly three decades at the Farmington Fair. Over time it has expanded from tours of the animal barns and churning butter to include meetings with emergency first responders, educational workshops about erosion and water safety, and visiting the growing collection of historical buildings on the fairgrounds.
According to Rosetta White, the executive director of Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District, the event had more than 1,100 participants, despite hot, humid weather, and close to 50 presenters. Students in grades K through 4 participate in the event.
Small groups of students chaperoned by volunteers and school staff visited dozens of stations that featured colorful displays, hands-on activities and free educational materials. In addition, the fairgrounds’ museums and other demonstration sites were open and in full operation for the students to observe and learn.
Booths provided samples of locally-produced foods: cheese, blueberries and apple products, as well as plenty of information about how the food was grown, harvested and prepared. Students could be seen churning cream to create butter, and their was a large crowd around the applesauce station. Several other booths focused on safety-minded topics such as proper ATV use. Farmington Fire Rescue, Farmington police and NorthStar had personnel showing off their vehicles and equipment.
Across the way, students swarmed over tractors and pulp trucks, while others lined up to visit the red schoolhouse and popular Agriculture Museum. Mike Chase of Alderrun Wood Creations showed off some carved products, while the Western Maine Blacksmiths forged garden tools just beyond wide-eyed students. The Western Maine Beekeepers and maple sap-house drew big crowds.
The stalls of the sawdust-packed fairground barns were open, with sheep, pigs, poultry and cows drawing ooh’s and ahh’s from students.
This is by far a great time for the kids to get a look at the way of life before they were born. I hope they enjoyed it.
My daughter had a wonderful time attending Ag Day this year! She talked about the apple sauce booth, the maple syrup house, and all the different animals. It’s such a wonderful opportunity for the children to connect with their community, and to learn more about how food ends up on their tables.
Thank you to all of the people who make this event possible. It was something I loved as a child, and I’m so happy that my daughter got to experience it, too.