“I learned that different colored eggs come from different breeds of chickens,” was a popular comment made by students when asked what they learned at the “From Our Lands to Your Hands” agricultural education day. The event was held Thursday, November 1 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

A total of 626 students from 29 different fourth and fifth grade classes from Jefferson County schools attended the agriculture and natural resources day. Besides the presentation on egg production given by the Colorado Egg Producers, students learned about the different types of potatoes grown in Colorado from the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee – Area III. Individuals from the Cal-Wood Education Center gave a presentation, which included showing the students the many products that we use every day that are made from wood including a bike helmet.

“My favorite part of the day was milking a cow,” was also a popular comment from the students. Students were able to milk “June,” the practically life-sized mechanical Holstein dairy cow. They learned about the nutritional benefits of dairy foods during this presentation given by Dairy Max. 

The “From Our Lands to Your Hands” program is designed to educate youth about Colorado agriculture and natural resource conservation topics. The students rotated through 12 different stations where they listened to and interacted with educational presentations given in 15-minute time blocks. 

Students were fascinated to learn about bees from the Colorado Master Gardeners. They learned why we need bees, why bees are in trouble, and how we can help save the bees. The Colorado Master Gardeners pulled double duty at the “From Our Lands to Your Hands” event as a second group of individuals gave a presentation on composting. The students were able to explore red “wiggler” worms in a vermicomposting bin. 

Other presentations during the agriculture day were given by Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Jefferson Conservation District, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Jefferson County 4-H, GoFarm, and Green Mountain FFA. 

Funding for the 2018 Jefferson County “From Our Lands to Your Hands” event is provided by sponsorships from the Colorado Livestock Association, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and Colorado Corn, as well as grants through the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts and the Colorado State Conservation Board. 

A special thank you goes to the students of Green Mountain FFA for volunteering their time to assist with the day and lead the students through the rotation of presentations.

The Jefferson County “From Our Lands to Your Hands” event is organized by a planning committee made up of representatives from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Colorado State University Extension Jefferson County, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Colorado Foundation for Agriculture, Jefferson Conservation District, National Older Worker Career Center (NOWCC), and Green Mountain FFA.

The date has been set for next year’s Jefferson County “From Our Lands to Your Hands” event. It will be held on Thursday, November 7, 2019. The planning committee is looking at ways to expand the event to accommodate more students. If you are interested in participating in or sponsoring the 2019 Jefferson County “From Our Lands to Your Hands” agricultural and natural resources education day, please contact Jennifer Scharpe, Colorado Foundation for Agriculture, at Jennifer@GrowingYourFuture.com or 970-818-3308.