Farming brought to La Porte County grade school students

BY STAN MADDUX

If they didn’t know already, elementary school students from throughout La Porte County learned that food doesn’t magically appear in grocery stores or their favorite fast food restaurant.

More than 700 fourth graders from communities like Michigan City, La Porte, Rolling Prairie and Westville were given quick lessons on everything from dairy, beef and poultry to farm machinery during Ag Days.

The two-day event beginning Feb. 8 at the La Porte National Guard Armory was hosted by Purdue Extension, La Porte County Farm Bureau, Inc. and La Porte County Row Crop Food Producers.

“I think it’s really important that kids who don’t have a lot of experience with farming get to know a little bit about what we do so they can understand where their food comes from and how we’re doing it,” said Bill Bohling, one of the volunteer instructors.

He raises corn and soybeans, cattle along with specialty crops on about 4,000 acres outside LaCrosse.

Emily Glasgow, who grew up on a dairy farm outside Niles, Michigan, informed each of her student groups on how milk gets from a cow to the supermarket.

One of the specific things she touched on was pasteurization, where milk is heated to about 160 degrees to kill any harmful bacteria prior to bottling and chilled for purchase.

“It doesn’t deter from the taste or nutritional value and, actually, gives it a longer shelf life,” Glasgow said.

Glasgow, who now lives on a corn and soybean farm with her husband, John, in southern La Porte County, said one point she tried emphasizing the most was the precautions taken for both the consumer and welfare of farm animals.

“We always want to provide a safe product and do what’s best for the animal,” she said.

Michele Kenaga said she enjoyed watching the faces of her students at Rolling Prairie Elementary School light up with interest during the presentations.

Most importantly, she said her students, especially the ones who’ve never been to a farm, learned about some of the happenings outside of their inner circles.

“How did it get to the grocery store. How did it get to their table. It’s enlightening,” she said.

Another volunteer instructor was Jeff Mitzner, who raises corn, soybeans, wheat and cattle on his farm in Wanatah.

Mitzner said he felt it was also important for the students to discover what happens to turn fresh produce like tomatoes into ketchup and pickles into cucumbers.

“A lot of them think you just go to the grocery store and the grocery store makes the milk for you or it comes from a brown cow. They actually got to realize where stuff comes from and how the process is. That’s what we’re trying to teach them,” he said.

Students were also given a chance to pet a chicken and rabbit during their two hour stay.

La Porte County Farm Bureau President Mark Parkman of Westville said Ag Days has been held annually for at least 40 years. Parkman said Ag Days the previous two years was cancelled, though, because of COVID-19.

He especially appreciated watching students raise their hands with questions about what they were being taught.

“The kids are engaged. It really reinvigorates you when you’re here and you see the kids soaking it up like they are,” he said.

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