This activity details instruction for making butter in a small baby-food sized jar.
This STEM-based activity incorporates math (exploring dimensional spaces and problem solving) and art, as the students are encouraged to apply their creativity to come up with a unique design in form using apples and toothpicks.
Paper circuits are an exciting way for students to learn how electrical circuits work. This activity gives students a foundation for what a circuit is and how to create a closed, series, parallel, and open circuit using a few simple supplies. The concepts learned in this introductory activity are a springboard for more complicated electrical projects such as sewing circuits and building prototypes controlled by Arduino boards.
In this laboratory students will determine the amount of energy released from biodiesel compared to other energy sources.
A simple activity that demonstrates the principles of supply and demand.
In this activity, high school students develop an understanding of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system and create an infographic (or poster or model) to demonstrate their understanding of the system.
Students will learn about the history of weaving with straw and make their own woven wheat ornaments, traditionally known as "corn dollies." The art of weaving with wheat stems (straw) is practically as old as wheat itself. Traditionally, corn dollies were made using the last stems of harvested grain. Wheat was most common, but oats, rye, barley, and corn were also used. The woven ornaments with the heads of grain still on the stem were hung on inside walls where they made it safely through the winter. These sacred grains were then planted the next season to ensure the fertility of the entire crop.
Growing Wisconsin Fast Plants in your classroom is a great activity to give life to lessons on plant growth and development, pollination, life cycles, and heredity. Fast Plants are members of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) that have been selectively bred for rapid development. In five to six weeks, these plants will complete an entire life cycle, from seed to seed. They are small, productive, and easy to grow, making them practical and manageable for classroom research and demonstration. Fast Plants of all types will show some differences between individual plants, but those with several variations (non-purple stem, yellow-green leaf) will show greater variability between individuals, an important consideration for lessons on heredity.
Farm fields can span hundreds of acres. With so much area to cover, checking crops and livestock can be difficult. But with an agricultural drone, this job becomes much simpler. Young readers will discover how drones help farmers maximize efficiencies and bring abundant harvests.
Historically, farming was an exhausting, physical task. Bright-minded individuals revolutionized agriculture with inventions that eased tasks and sped up production. The invention of milestone machines, such as Eli Whitney's cotton gin, are explored chronologically.
How do plants survive when they can't run away from danger? Plants can live in diverse places such as under water, in deserts, cold climates, high elevations or even on other plants. They must contend with storms, fire, poor soils, and hungry animals and insects. Fortunately plants can grow from spores, seeds, or vegetatively and often get a helping hand from people. Plants are cultivated to provide fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and fibers such as cotton as well as for wood, paper, and many other products. The book concludes by noting a few of the habitats plants help create such as forests, prairies, and marshes as the comical plant characters conclude that they do indeed have amazing powers. Several related activities are listed such as a plant power scavenger hunt, a writing prompt: My Plant Power, and a kitchen scrap garden.
While tracing the development of an apple tree from bud to fruit, Schnieper highlights the progress of an apple tree through the four seasons. The book provides an overview of life in an orchard. Beautiful full-color photos and black-and-white line drawings highlight and elucidate the text. An excellent explanation of grafting is also included.
Welcome to the fascinating world of your own backyard, where more than 125 bugs, worms, and small critters play out the drama of life in miniature. Seven life-size, backyard environments from the soil to the vegetable garden to the air above are vividly depicted in enticingly lush photographic scenes. Scenes are followed by informational spreads which identify all the animals pictured and relate intriguing facts about survival in each environment. The book includes natural science projects, essential safety information, and an inviting 'visual index' for easy reference.
Wanted: Young skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. When Colton Westcott sees this sign for the Pony Express, he thinks he has the solution to his problems. He's stuck with his ma and two younger sisters on the wrong side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with no way to get across. They were on the wagon train heading to California when Pa accidentally shot Colton and then galloped away. Ma is sick, and Colton needs money to pay the doctor. He'd make good money as a Pony rider. He also needs to get to California to deliver freedom papers to Ma's sister, a runaway slave. The Pony Express could get him there too...
By featuring a single cow (Clarabelle) and her calf on a large, modern-day Wisconsin dairy farm, Peterson describes all the latest technology that enables farmers to create energy and other by-products from their herds. And yet none of the modern-day machinery matches the miracle of production that is the cow herself. Vibrant, close-up photographs capture Clarabelle with her herdmates and her newborn calf as well as the family members of Norswiss Farm who live and work together.
When Annabelle gives birth to her calf, she also begins to produce milk. The milk is then processed into cheese, and from the cheese, pizza is made. An excellent nonfiction look at milk production.
Author Milton Meltzer deals with these and other questions as he shows how food and the search for it has been a powerful force in shaping the world's history. He shows us how food has had a great influence on population and its growth or decline, on the rise of cities, on the expansion of trade, on economic and political thought, as well as on wars and revolutions. This book contains a series of entertaining essays, each of which is designed to elucidate another aspect of his topic. A great reference book for teachers and students.
Provides an introduction to the basic concepts of food production, distribution, and consumption by tracing the production of bread from wheat.
Old MacDonald had a...garden? Yes! Sing along with young Jo MacDonald as she grows healthy food for people and wild creatures. E-I-E-I-O! Find out how butterflies, bumblebees, and birds help a garden to thrive – and how you can help them too. And keep an eye on one mysterious plant. What will it become? Youngsters learn about garden ecosystems and stewardship through this playful adaptation of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.
Never. Not a chance. Annalisa wouldn't dream of kissing Luella the cow, even though her mother kisses her every day after singing her a song and milking her. Still, inquisitive Annalisa is awfully interested in milking Luella, and one day she sneaks off and does everything just the way her mother does - except for the kiss on the nose. Will Annalisa's innate curiosity get the best of her?
Providing an early introduction to STEM education, this book uses simple text and labeled photographs to examine a wide range of exciting machines used on the farm, revealing how each machine solves a particular problem. Machines covered include tractors, combine harvesters, milking machines, hay balers, crop sprayers, and more!
Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever
After sketching and plotting and planting, Maxine and Leo know they've made The Greatest Garden Ever! But they're not the only ones who think so. Soon, all sorts of animals make their way in, munching on carrots and knocking over pots. When Leo and Maxine can't agree on a way to deter these unwelcome critters, it looks like there's more on the line than saving their garden—they just might need to save their friendship too.
Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the Pony Express
In 1860, the first Pony Express rider set out on a trail from Missouri to California. With him, he carried a special delivery—the first mail ever carried by hand to the West. Over the next eleven days, he and many other riders would endure harsh weather, dangerous animals, and more. But nothing would diminish their unflagging determination and courage.
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings, Kojo is able to return to school, and soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore. This book is part of CitizenKid, a collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.
Ox-Cart Man
Describes the day-to-day life of an early nineteenth-century New England family throughout the changing seasons. A Caldecott Medal award winner; sure to be a classroom favorite.
Snow Comes to the Farm
A day comes, after the leaves have fallen and the wild geese have left for warmer places, when the air holds its breath, still and full of expectation. Snow is coming, and soon farmland and forest, ground and sky will be transformed. This story tells about two brothers waiting and watching for the first snow of winter. *This book is no longer in print, but is readily available through the Public Library System.
Sparrow Girl
After sparrows ate too much grain, it was determined to banish them from China. However, an unintended consequence surfaced. The locust population grew to plague proportions and contributed to widespread famine. Based on a true story about the 1958 Sparrow War in China, this event highlights the important connections between managed and natural ecosystems.
Stinky and Stringy: Stem & Bulb Vegetables (Plants We Eat)
This book provides a fun-filled exploration of the history and field-to-table processes of onions, garlic, leeks, celery, asparagus, and rhubarb. Examine the discovery and migration of these vegetables as well as their roles in cooking, technology, and world cultures.
The Most Magnificent Thing
A young girl sets her mind to creating the most magnificent thing! She has the plans in her head, gathers all the necessary materials, and builds her first prototype. However, her invention is not exactly what she had planned, and after repeated attempts at making her invention "magnificent," she quits. Her pet dog convinces her to walk away, and when she returns she tackles her project with renewed enthusiasm and conviction. The result—the most magnificent thing! This is a fun, educational look at the engineering design process.
The Things You'll Grow: Agriculture Careers for Little Big Dreamers
Join Cas, Kanga Blue, and their new friend Tillie on an adventure through a wide range of agriculture careers as they imagine the exciting things they might do someday. Agriculture is the backbone of society, and it goes far beyond farming or ranching. In The Things You'll Grow, young readers get a firsthand glimpse of how multiple fields are connected to agriculture: culinary, technology, aviation, engineering, supply chain, and conservation, to name a few. This light-hearted adventure encourages children's interest in career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
The Ugly Vegetables
A Chinese-American girl wishes for a garden of bright flowers instead of one full of bumpy, ugly vegetables. The neighbors' gardens look so much prettier and so much more inviting to the young gardener than the garden of "black-purple-green vines, fuzzy wrinkled leaves, prickly stems, and a few little yellow flowers" that she and her mother grow. Nevertheless, mother assures her that "these are better than flowers." Come harvest time, everyone agrees as those ugly Chinese vegetables become the tastiest, most aromatic soup they have ever known. As the neighborhood comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetable soup, the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose.
They're Off! The Story of the Pony Express
In 1860, with North and South about to be divided by war, East and West were united through an extraordinary venture—the Pony Express. Over the course of ten days in April, eighty riders and five hundred horses delivered mail between California and Missouri—a mission that took three weeks by stagecoach. Although it existed for only a year and a half, the Pony Express remains a legendary chapter in American history and a symbol of the bold, adventurous character of the Old West.
Uncle John's City Garden
Visiting the city from her home in the suburbs, an African American girl sees how a few packets of seeds, some helping hands, and hard work transform an empty lot in a housing project into a magical place where vegetables grow and family gathers. It's the magic of nature in the heart of the city! Bernette Ford's autobiographical story is a loving glimpse at a girl, her siblings, and her uncle, and their shared passion for farming. L'il Sissy's fascination with measurement, comparison, and estimation introduces children to STEM concepts. And the progress of Uncle John's garden introduces readers to the life cycle of plants.
You Wouldn't Want to be a Pony Express Rider!
It's 1860 and a new mail company is looking for riders. You are the son of a pioneer family, living in Kansas Territory. You read an ad for a direct mail delivery service. How do you survive the 1,966 miles of the Pony Express?
You're Aboard Spaceship Earth
This attractive picture book enlarges on the metaphor "spaceship Earth," explaining that just as the space shuttle carries all the food, water, and oxygen the astronauts need, Earth carries all the food (minerals), water, and oxygen we need. It demonstrates the water, mineral, and oxygen cycles, showing that Earth makes a great spaceship, but tells readers that "our job is to keep it that way."
Adventures in Agriculture Coloring Book
Get a glimpse inside some of the STEM career paths available in agriculture and see women in STEM. Edition 1 is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Edition 2 is available in English and Spanish.
Ag Today
Agriculture is everywhere! From the time we wake up in the morning until we end our day at night, we have encountered agriculture through the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the fuel we use for transportation. Ag Today is a great reading supplement for upper elementary students to learn about agriculture. The six issues correlate with the themes of the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes and can be integrated into science, social studies, and language arts curriculum. Each reader provides real-world connections to STEM and makes learning relevant for students in becoming agriculturally literate.
Oysters Ag Mag
The
Oysters Ag Mag was written for elementary, middle, and high school students. In this issue, students will learn about the life cycle of oysters and their importance to coastal ecosystems. Students will discover the many ways to eat oysters, and how where they are grown affects the taste. They will learn the differences between wild and farmed oysters and vocabulary specific to oyster production. This reader includes a map of where oysters are grown in North Carolina. Visit the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries webpage to learn more about US-grown oysters. The reader can be viewed by students electronically, as a class with a SMARTboard, or printed.
Sweetpotato Ag Mag
The Sweetpotato Ag Mag is an agricultural magazine written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students will learn that North Carolina is the #1 producer of sweetpotatoes in the United States and how the root vegetable was introduced to the nation. They will also explore the life cycle of the sweetpotato plant, its health benefits to humans, the STEM-focused processes for growing, harvesting, and curing sweetpotatoes, visit a fourth-generation sweetpotato farm, and investigate three careers that involve sweetpotato production. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.
Arduino Controlled Relay
Using a relay allows an Arduino microcontroller to power a high voltage object. This kit contains what you need to build a relay that can be used to control a grow light or a sprinkler in an aeroponics system. Use this system to replace the timer included in the
SpaceLite (Plant Light) Kit and the
Classroom Aquaponics Kit.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Classroom Aquaponics Kit
Investigate the basic needs of plants and fish and discover how plants, animals, and bacteria interact in a symbiotic system by assembling, maintaining, and observing a small-scale aquaponics system. This kit contains clear tubs, an overflow drain kit, a submersible fountain pump, flexible tubing, a plastic bell siphon container, expanded clay pellets, a light bulb, a timer, ammonium chloride, a water test kit, an aquarium thermometer, seed paper, fish food, a fish net, an aquarium cave, and assembly and maintenance instructions. This kit complements the
Exploring Aquaponics lessons.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Hen House Prototype
Creating a prototype is an important part of the engineering process. Adding paper circuits and fans to a cardboard model can be a cost effective way for students to build a prototype. The Hen House Prototype Kit contains copper tape, white LEDs, 3V coin cell batteries, hobby motors, and propellers. The kit contains enough materials for 12 small groups of students.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Living Science Careers Equipment Bags
This is a great resource to help your students better understand the exciting and diverse array of STEM employment opportunities in food, agriculture, and natural resources. Each kit comes with yarn, signs, and seven Living Science Careers Equipment Bags, all in a sturdy plastic storage container.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
On the Flip Side cards
These interactive "On the Flip Side" cards enable students to assess the environmental impact of raising livestock within our food system from multiple perspectives. Students will use the cards to explore connections between livestock and factors such as traditions, cultures, nutrition, and geography. They will also consider technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of livestock.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Origami Parts of a Flower
Explore the parts of a flower by creating origami flower models. This kit contains instructions and enough origami paper, chenille stems, and beads for a classroom of students to make a flower.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Paper Circuits
Paper circuits are an exciting way for students to learn how electrical circuits work. The concepts learned in this activity are a springboard for more complicated electrical projects such as sewing circuits and building prototypes controlled by Arduino boards. This kit includes 3mm LEDs, copper tape, 3V coin cell batteries, and activity sheet masters. The kit contains enough supplies for a classroom of students.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Test Tube Hydroponics Kit
Investigate the importance of nutrients for plant growth and discover how plants grow without soil. Use this kit to grow and observe plants in a test tube hydroponic system. Kit includes rock wool, seed-starter trays, soybean seeds, plant tags, test tubes, and pipettes for 35 students. The
Test Tube Hydroponics Kit complements the lesson
Test Tube Hydroponics.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com. The Complexities of our Global Food System
The global food system is balanced between the supply and demand of food and tethered to our environment. These
high resolution PDFs demonstrate visually the complexity of agriculture. These maps highlight how the global food system is the balance between supply and demand of food as governed by geography and politics. These elements are divided into natural systems and human systems.
Agricultural Engineering Video
Use this 8-minute video clip to profile a career in Agricultural Engineering. Learn how agricultural engineers apply engineering technology and science to help farmers be more productive, reduce environmental impacts, and keep our food affordable, safe, healthy and delicious.
America's Heartland: Maine-ly Apples
A little band of bakers is busy turning out 32 hundred apple pies a day. But the Kroitzsh (pronounced “Kroich”) family doesn’t mind. These sweet treats have been the salvation for their Valley View Apple orchard in south central Maine for the past 15 years.
CRISPR: A Word Processor for Editing the Genome Video
Since the discovery of DNA’s fundamental role in building and sustaining life, scientists have dreamed of having the ability to easily edit DNA in very precise ways. This video explores how a group of scientists made a major breakthrough in understanding the bacterial immune response, called the CRISPR/Cas system, and discovered a way to utilize this system to create a new technique to specifically change the DNA sequence of any organism with great ease. This video can be used with an advanced lesson on DNA to help students begin to see how science is advancing and how this knowledge can potentially be used.
CRISPR: Gene Editing and Beyond
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionised gene-editing, but cutting DNA isn’t all it can do. From turning gene expression on and off to fluorescently tagging particular sequences, this animation explores some of the exciting possibilities of CRISPR.
California Rice: Farming with Nature
This excellent DVD explores a family rice farm in California's Sacramento Valley as viewed through the eyes of 11-year-old Sue Miller. A farmer's daughter, Sue is just beginning to understand the important role her family's farm plays in the surrounding ecology. Packed with plenty of educational information, this video also contains stirring visual images and a young person's perspective on something we all share; the basic human link to the soil and nature.
Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.Cows and Climate
Watch a series of video clips by Dr. Frank Mitloehner as he explains livestock's role in the global food system and our environment. Dr. Mitloehner is a professor and air quality scientist in the area of animal science at UC Davis. These videos help answer questions about our diet and climate change, the environmental footprint of cars vs cows, methane from livestock, food waste, and solutions for a sustainable future.
Food Doesn't Grow in the Supermarket!
This DVD, narrated by children, follows "The City Guy," an adult who thinks he knows where food comes from (the grocery store), as he visits three different farms to learn where food really comes from and what it takes to produce it. Interesting even for those who have experience in farming and food production! This video is available on DVD or
YouTube.
Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.How Do You Grow a Fish Sandwich? Video
Have you heard of hydroponics or aquaculture? In this video from the
Gee Whiz in Agriculture series, you get a fish-eye view of fish and lettuce production in an ecologically-closed system. We look at plant and fish life cycles, showing how each is dependent upon the other for nourishment. Concepts of symbiotic life systems, chemical and nutrient cycling, and integrated food production are highlighted. A "model ecosystem" can be used to demonstrate concepts, both in the program and the classroom. This video is available on DVD or
YouTube.
Order this video online from agclassroomstore.com.How Farming Planted Seeds for the Internet
Use this TedEd video to support reasons why early civilizations moved from hunting-gathering to farming as a major innovation for the current world we live in today. All the essential advancements are depicted throughout this video stemming from agriculture to include the development of cities, division of labor, governing institutions, and advanced technologies - without agriculture none of these advancements would have occurred.
Soil, Not Dirt
Follow Rebecca Lybrand on a digital journey to connect soils, plants, and climate. Rebecca, a soil scientist explains some of her daily job tasks and teaches about soils in different climates and ecosystems.
The Future of Farming & Agriculture video
Farming is being revolutionized by a technological wave. This 12-minute video highlights technological advancements in both animal and plant agriculture. Learn how drones, robots, GPS systems, hydroponics, vertical farming systems, and more can help grow and harvest crops more efficiently. You can also see tools used in livestock production such as activity monitors, thermal imaging tools, and 3-D imaging which assist farmers in keeping their animals healthy.
The Importance of Pollinators
Pollinators are vitally important to agriculture, as well as our food system and ecosystems. They help thousands of flowering plants reproduce, from flowers to fruits and even some crops. Pollinator habitat can also provide benefits on the farm, such as preventing soil erosion and improving biodiversity. This video collection discusses the importance of pollinators and provides examples of the successful implementation of pollinator habitats on farmland.
The Story of Bottled Water video
This video highlights the story and history of bottled water. Discover when and why water first began being bottled and marketed for individual sale. This video can supplement lessons on water systems, pollution, water safety, and use. It can also be used as part of a business or marketing lesson discussing how markets and demand are created.
Vascular Plants video
Supplement a plant anatomy lesson with this video which breaks down the anatomy and physiology of vascular plants. Learn the difference between herbaceous and woody plants and examples of each, the parts of the plant and the function it performs, and how water is absorbed through the roots and circulated through the plant through the xylem.
Vertical Farming video
Use this 4-minute video to explore the benefits and challenges to vertical farming systems which utilize hydroponics to grow plants. Can the land and water conservation advantages outweigh the cost of creating artificial light?
Why Can a Cow Eat Grass? Video
Beef and dairy cattle provide us with hundreds of different products, and all they need is an ample supply of grass and other plants. Most of these plants people can't even eat, so why can cows eat them? This Gee Whiz in Agriculture video provides an in-depth look at the digestive system of cattle, focusing on differences between cattle and humans. Take a journey into a cow’s stomach and microscopically view the stomach contents. Ten-year old “experts” will share their “MOO-ving” experiences with you. This video is available on DVD or
YouTube.
Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.
Chew It Twice Poster
Did you know that a cow spends six hours eating and eight hours chewing its cud each day? Use this 25" x 32" activity poster to follow the path food takes on its way through the cow.
Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.
Living Science Career Cards (posters or mini-posters)
The Living Science Career Cards feature 32 science careers associated with our nation's food, agricultural, and natural resource system. This is a great resource to help your students better understand the exciting and diverse array of employment opportunities for scientists working to generate new knowledge and to advance technology. These cards are available for
free download.
Parts of a Strawberry Plant Poster
The fruits and vegetables we eat come from parts of a plant. Flowering plants have six main parts. Use this 28" x 24" laminated poster of a strawberry plant to label and discuss the functions of the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds.
Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.
Plant Part Chart
The fruits and vegetables we eat come from parts of a plant. Identify examples of roots, stems, leaves, flower, fruit, and seeds from every letter of the alphabet using this colorful 25" x 30" poster.
Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.
Agricultural Biotechnology Questions and Answers
What is Agricultural Biotechnology and how is it used? This informative text breaks down the questions surrounding biotechnology and how it is used for agricultural production. The article breaks down four topics: Genetically Engineered (GE) Crops, How Other Countries Gain Access to GE Technology, How Crops and Foods are Assessed for Safety, and Developing a Biosafety System.
Botany on Your Plate: Investigating Plants We Eat
This investigative science curriculum introduces the world of plants to elementary school students through foods we eat. Watch children's understanding of our world grow as they partake in hands-on activities that explore edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds through observation, dissection, journaling, discussion of findings, and, of course, tasting! This book can be used in educators' instruction to support standards in nutrition, math, language arts, and social studies. Every lesson includes plant snacks that spark curiosity, interesting questions, and social dialogue to fuel the learning process.
Bottle Biology
Learn how to explore science and the environment using soda bottles and other recyclable materials. Model a rain forest and grow different plants, create a spider habitat, observe the life cycle of a slime mold, explore an ecosystem or make Korean kimchee. Pursue these and other scientific investigations with over 20 bottle constructions. Each chapter contains background information, activities and teaching tips. This is a great book for those interested in exploring gardening in the classroom before committing to something more expensive.
Farm to Table & Beyond
This curriculum unit is designed to teach science through study of the food system. It investigates two questions—what is the system that gets food from farm to table, and how does this system affect the environment? Students will learn about our complex and highly technological global food system and how the parts of this system interact and influence each other. Lesson plans include a number of hands-on investigations, helpful background information, practical teaching tips, and tools for assessment.
Grow it Again
This resource will help you find creative solutions to growing affordable plants in the classroom. You may find it hard to believe, but the makings of a fantastic growing experience are probably in your kitchen right now. Don't put those carrot tops in the compost or throw out the seeds in that apple core—try growing them instead. Turn a peanut into an unusual flower or a beet top into a leafy plant. The step-by-step illustrated instructions in this book make it easy!
How Safe is Your Salad?
Learn about the safety system and protocols farmers and farm workers must follow while growing and harvesting lettuce and other leafy greens grown in Arizona. After an E. coli outbreak in 2006 the leafy green industry began approaching food safety in a new way. Learn the steps taken to protect your salad from foodborne illness.
Mobile System Removes Phosphorus From Manure
Read about the research for a mobile system designed to remove phosphorus from cow manure. This technology may offer dairy farmers greater flexibility in where, when, and how they use the nutrient to fertilize crops.
Natural GMO? Sweet Potato Genetically Modified 8,000 Years Ago
Genetically modified crops have specific genes transferred from one genome to another. Typically it is believed that this could not happen naturally without human assistance. However, this article reports on the evidence that the sweet potato has a gene originally found in a bacterium.
Precision Agriculture Technologies and Factors Affecting Their Adoption
Precision agriculture technologies are playing an increasing role in farm production. Examples include GPS tractor guidance systems and GPS soil and yield mapping for variable-rate applications. This USDA report discusses adoption rates for using these technologies and factors impacting adoption of use.
Programming Sun and Rain
On the cramped urban campus of Boston Latin School, students grow an acre’s worth of vegetables in an old shipping container that’s been transformed into a computer-controlled hydroponic farm. Using a wall-mounted keyboard or a mobile app, the student farmers can monitor their crops, tweak the climate, make it rain and schedule sunrise. Use this article to illustrate an example of hydroponics, the use of technology in agriculture, and/or urban farming.
Weather-Tracking Tool Helps Track Migrating Insects
Farmers are faced with the potential of crop damage each year that stems from migrating insects such as the corn earworm. However, signals taken from the National Weather Service Doppler radar network has the potential for tracking insects that move through the night such as the corn earworm. This resource supports reasons why farmers are concerned with productivity in crops that can be completely devastated by migrating insects.
Worms Eat My Garbage
The book that started a backyard worm revolution over three decades ago continues to be the definitive guide to vermicomposting—the process of using worms to recycle human food and other organic waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer for plants. This book provides complete illustrated instructions on setting up and maintaining a small-scale worm composting system. The topics covered include worm species, anatomy of the red worm, the worm bin ecosystem, the care and feeding of worms, setting up a worm bin, harvesting worm castings, and the benefits of castings to plants.
All About Corn: e-learning modules for educators and students
This website includes a series of interactive online modules with nearly five hours of programming on everything about corn, targeted to high school students.
Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Renewable Energy, and the Environment
This report describes projected job opportunities for U.S. college graduates in the food, agricultural, and natural resources system for the years 2020-2025. It highlights areas where graduating students are most likely to find jobs. The publication also describes factors that are driving trends in the job market, as well as characteristics of students graduating from U.S. Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. Visit the website or download the printable PDF.
Esri GIS for Agriculture
This website from the creators of ArcGIS mapping software provides articles, interactive demos, and videos illustrating how GIS technology can be applied to agriculture.
Food Security & Nutrition Around the World
This website contains the full report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United States about food security and nutrition around the world. View numerous graphs showing trends over time for hunger, malnutrition, child stunting, and other related impacts of food insecurity.
SOW Seeds of Wonder
In Project S.O.W., youth work together to investigate how to grow food, explore their relationship with the land and food system, and practice leadership in their communities. Youth discover the power of food gardening to provide their families and communities with fresh and affordable food, and experience firsthand the resilience, confidence, and connection that this time-honored practice brings. Resources can be paired with school gardening curriculum for ages 13-19.
Seed Your Future
Seed Your Future is the movement to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants. The website has a database of
horticulture career profiles, as well as a
YouTube playlist of videos describing horticulture career areas in "BLOOM!" categories. Students unlock their plant power as they explore careers in horticulture.
Utah State University Bee Lab
The website for the USDA Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory at Utah State University provides a glimpse into the world of bee research. This is a great resource to build background knowledge prior to teaching about bees. In addition to many technical articles, the site provides links to popular magazine and USDA Agricultural Research Service news articles on bees. Dig deeper to find pages on how to identify bumble bees of northern Utah and a guide to raising bumble bees at home.
Photo by Lyndsey Garber
Photo by NM Department of Agriculture
Photo by NM Department of Agriculture
Photo by Jay Hill
Photo by NM Department of Agriculture
Photo by Lyndsey Garber