By ASHLEY FENNING
Extension Assistant
Over 120 Box Butte County 2nd grade students got a hands-on education about Nebraska agriculture.
The Hemingford location at the Box Butte County Fairgrounds held on Monday, April 25 was the first of five Agsplosions to take place. In the weeks to come, the Agsplosion Festival will visit Dawes, Morrill, Cheyenne, and Scotts Bluff county youth.
Nebraska Extension, 4-H Educators and Assistants from across the Panhandle led the activities throughout the day. Agsplosion, an Agricultural Literacy Festival, where young learners spent the day rotating through stops about corn, soybeans, pigs, dry edible beans, wheat, beef cattle, ag technology, potatoes and dairy.
One teacher said the material the students learned during the Agsplosion field day relates well with what they have been taught in the classroom.
Courtney Hardin, a teacher from Immanuel Lutheran School said, “My kids loved what they learned. They stayed engaged the whole day.”
“My students learned that popcorn and potato chips come from Nebraska,” said Misty Weare, Emerson Elementary teacher.
Agsplosion is very important for students, families, and educators to work together to emphasize the importance of agriculture in our community. This program also helped familiarize youth about where their food comes from and the by-products they use in their daily lives.