Meadowbrook Hosts Annual 'Day at the Farm'
EKU Meadowbrook Farms hosted its annual “Day at the Farm” on March 30, 2017. Approximately 100 students from Wolfe County elementary schools attended; the children were in the third and fourth grades.
“Kids aren’t always aware of where their food comes from; they don’t always know that people are involved in the process, so we like to show them that,” explains Mr. Justin McKinney, Director of Meadowbrook Farm.
Dr. Andrea Sexten’s Agriculture and Horticulture students organized and participated in the Day at the Farm event; each student was assigned to a different game or activity that taught the children about farm equipment, animals, plants, products, and business.
Agriculture Equipment
- Kenton Adams (Crab Orchard), Animal Science
- Austin Huff (Shelbyville), Agronomy, Soils and Natural Resources
- Seth Nethery (Mount Eden), Agribusiness Management
Petting Zoo and Kate the Cow
- Victoria Tillman (Winchester), Agribusiness Management
- Smantha Randolph (Somerset), Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Sara Christman (Mc Kee), Agribusiness Management
Ice Cream
- Katie Link (Ashland), Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Mika Martino (Richmond), Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Micah Watkins (Richmond), Agronomy, Soils and Natural Resources
- Brandon Smither (Frankfort), Agronomy, Soils and Natural Resources
Farm Game
- Katie Robertson (Waco), Livestock Production
- Kyle Peacock (Mount Vernon), Agronomy, Soils and Natural Resources
Tours
- Dairy: Ross Embry (Leitchfield), Agribusiness Management
- Beef: Ben Smith (Bagdad), Animal Science
- Sheep: Zach Poynter (Mount Vernon), Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Swine: David Peery (Richmond), Animal Science
Planning of stations/tour
- Brian Hasty (Lancaster), Animal Science
- Bethany McKinney (Mount Vernon), Agribusiness Management
- Kayla Patrick (Irvine), Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Kayla Proctor (Richmond), Animal Science
- Monica Engle (Gray), Animal Science
- Nicole Fox (Irvine), Animal Science
- Sydney Kleinert (Clifton, Ill.), Agribusiness Management
Throughout the day, children had the opportunity to pet calves, pigs, and lambs, as well as view sheep, chickens, and cattle. They learned how budgeting can affect a farm in the same way it can affect other businesses. Children were shown the types of plants that butterflies such as the monarch typically use for sustenance. Students also learned about invasive plant species and how harmful they can be to the environment. One of the many favorite activities was a hay ride that gave students a tour of the farm and introduced them to many interesting and fun farm concepts.
For lunch, Wolfe County students and staff were given burgers produced on Meadowbrook farm, as well as other fruits and vegetables. In the past, students have been given bagged lunches, but Meadowbrook wanted to showcase its resources in every way. The kids were excited to receive their burgers and watch them be cooked on the outdoor grill.
The children all had a wonderful time, and the Wolfe County teachers expressed their great impressions with the farm. For more information on EKU’s agriculture programs, visit http://agriculture.eku.edu/
For more information on Meadowbrook Farm, visit http://farms.eku.edu/.
Published on March 30, 2017