Bay City Tribune

Matagorda County fourth graders spent one day studying the importance of American agriculture during the Matagorda County Farm Bureau Ag Field Day Thursday and Friday.

The aim of the field day is to expose young children to the process of growing their food source.

"We know that the majority of these kids aren't going to be in agriculture but we want them to know and see first-hand where their food comes from," said Richard Hodge, Matagorda County Farm Bureau board president.

The children enjoyed a day-long curriculum that took them from one demonstration to the next allowing them to see, hear and touch agriculture in a controlled environment.

The demonstration classrooms included: a dairy farm, with L.P. Voskamp of Thompsons, Tex,; turf grass farming, with John Cospers of Wharton; beef, with members of the Matagorda Cattlemen's and Cattlewomen's Association; poultry, with Leon Hatterman of Weimer; rice, with Bay City rice farmer Billy Mann and Thomas Piwonka, of Lower Colorado River Authority; row crop, with Matagorda County's Texas Agrilife Extension Service agent Brent Batchelor; aquaculture, with Peter Wood of Texas Agrilife Extension Service; and a rain simulator, with the National Resources Conservation Service.

Hodge said the teachers at each demonstration come from as far away as Weimer to give the demonstrations and the event could not happen without their participation.

"Some of these guys really need to be out bailing hay or harvesting rice right now but they come out here every year and really put on a great program for the kids and we really appreciate that," said Hodge.

"They may be some 50 or 60-year-old farmers but you would be surprised at how well they can keep those fourth graders attention for about 25 minutes."

The field day has been an annual event for the past 10 years in Matagorda County.

Fourth graders from the rural schools including Matagorda Elementary, Blessing Elementary, Markham Elementary, Palacios's Eastside Intermediate and Van Vleck's E. Rudd Intermediate participated in the event on Thursday.

McAllister Intermediate and Bay City Intermediate students participated on Friday.

The Farm Bureau board also enlists the help of FFA members from each of the county chapters.

"They come out here and go around with the kids, eat with them and help all of our transitions run smoothly and their help is invaluable as well," said Hodge.

Each year LCRA employees volunteer some of their time to help serve lunch to the kids also.