FEATURE | e d i t i o n
Three Decades and Thriving
photos by TOM HAGGERTY (2020)
Agri-Fest Adapts to Stay Relevant Over the Years
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AFTER A YEAR of virtual-only events, Polk County Agri-Fest returns in 2022 with both in-person and virtual opportunities for students to become better aware of how vital the agricultural industry is to Polk County. Agri-Fest started in 1989 as a one-day event at the Winter Haven Citrus Dome. It was a collaborative effort that included local growers, the Polk County School Board, the Farm Bureau and the Polk Extension office. It grew to a 10-day event with six key learning stations — Florida farms, phosphate, forestry, beef, horticulture, and citrus — that served between 5,000 to 6,000 students per year, pre-pandemic. This year, as it experiments with a hybrid of in-person and online events, Agri-Fest looks to continue bringing the Polk County agricultural industry to area students. Central Florida Ag News interviewed two of its main advocates — Polk County Farm Bureau Executive Director Carole McKenzie and Director of UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Nicole Walker — about the
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festival, its objectives, and what to expect from this year’s event. CFAN: What was the original goal for Agri-Fest 33 years ago and how has that goal evolved? Carole McKenzie: A primary objective then was to identify the correct grade level that would be the best age to introduce agricultural concepts and connect them to school-based curriculum and testing standards. I think that as those curriculum standards have evolved, so have the lesson plans for the Agri-Fest stations. Nicole Walker: The goal of extending agricultural literacy to children has not changed. However, in addition to getting to know some of the commodities produced in Polk County, there is also a desire for students to explore potential careers
and opportunities to get more actively involved in supporting local agriculture. This includes such things as encouraging their parents to shop locally for fresh produce and visiting local “u-pick” farms and agritourism sites. CFAN: How has Agri-Fest changed over the years? McKenzie: Lesson plans have been expanded to include issues like the importance of farmers taking care of the land, water conservation, and that farmers and ranchers make good efficient use of every part of their product that is possible. We have also tried to share with students that a career in agriculture doesn’t just mean driving a tractor for a living. We try to make the connection between agriculture and careers in the fields of science, marketing, engineering, technology, and many other fields. Walker: The format and the content have changed over the years as the local industry has evolved. FloridaAgNews.com
