Educational Opportunities

If last weekend had a theme, it was education. On Friday afternoon I had the opportunity to visit a 4th grade class in Peoria, Ill. and talk to them about agriculture. GROWMARK is a member of the Mid America CropLife Association (MACA), and one activity that group manages is the CropLife Ambassador program. Teachers can visit the website and request a guest speaker, then MACA volunteers sign up for schools in their area. I try to sign up for one or two presentations a year.




The students I talked to last Friday were wonderful. They asked a lot of questions and seemed to really enjoy the pictures and items I took to share. I used some materials from the Illinois Farm Bureau's Ag in the Classroom group - they are very nicely done and written at a 4th grade level.




Probably the best part came at the end of the presentation. I was just about to walk out the door and a little girl who hadn't said much during the whole time I was there came up and handed me a piece of paper. It said "You Rock Mrs. Jones! Love, Rebeca."





I think that it is so important to talk to young people about the importance of agriculture and teach them where their food, fiber, and fuel comes from. If you ever have a chance to visit schools in your area, I encourage you to take advantage. Your county Farm Bureau can help by providing Ag in the Classroom materials and activities.

Friday evening my family made the drive to Indianapolis to watch my brother, Jason, receive his American FFA Degree on Saturday. It was great to be back among the blue jackets again and add the third member of our family to the list of American Degree recipients. My dad earned his in 1977, and I earned mine in 2001.

I firmly believe in the value of youth organizations like FFA and 4-H, among others, and am proud to work for a company that devotes time and resources to supporting those groups.

Trees Forever

Today I attended a Trees Forever meeting in Lexington, Ill. I wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be a very interesting, fun experience.

GROWMARK and our local FS member cooperatives are sponsors of the Trees Forever program by offering half-price seed (grasses, wildflowers, etc...) to participants in the buffer strip program. This year there are 11 landowners participating in the program.

The Wright family was our host today and showed us a great time. We had a fantastic meal, followed by a hayrack ride through their 40 acres of timber. It was a beautiful area, and I even saw a couple deer off in the distance. They also offered rides on their model train.

Probably my favorite part of the day was the tour of the house, or "Castle," built in 1898. The Wrights have painstakingly renovated this three-story home back to its original glory. The details were amazing - painted ceilings, carved woodwork, spiraling stairways - wow! They have also furnished their home with antique furniture wherever possible. I love learning about the history of antique things, hearing the story of where they came from, thinking about who may have used them over the years.

To top it all off, the rain that had been threatening all day held off until about two minutes after I got in my car to head back to the office. Perfect timing!

Karen

Welcome!

Thank you for checking out my new "System Stories" blog! This is where you'll find fun tidbits of information about the people of the GROWMARK System whom I meet during my travels for the Spirit magazine. From time to time I may also include interesting information that relates to what we do as a cooperative system, like facts about agriculture or writing tips.

I hope you will become a regular visitor to this blog. Feel free to leave comments about what you enjoy, and even about things you would change. I look forward to hearing from you!

Karen