Stay Informed

Indiana Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom program (AITC) provides school children in grades pre-K through 12 the opportunity to understand where their food comes from and how important farming and agriculture are to their daily lives.

Each school year, INFB volunteers teach students about agriculture through hands-on activities and lessons using standard-based curriculums. All the materials for the upcoming school year focus on the INFB 2022 Book of the Year, My Family’s Soybean Farm. This year, 1,481 copies of the book have been distributed and 7,325 bookmarks have been delivered. Over the past six years of the program, more than 10,500 copies of all six INFB Books of the Year have been shared with Hoosier students.

Now that students are back in the classroom, AITC volunteers are preparing their lessons to bring to the schools for a great school year. Volunteers were able to reach 50,000 students in 2021, and INFB’s goal is to increase that number this next year.

AITC utilizes the Indiana Ag Mag, a publication that provides volunteers and educators with printed and digital resources that highlight information about Indiana’s leading commodities. In 2021, INFB distributed 16,440 copies to students across the state, and 9,000 copies have been sent out for the 2022 year so far.

“This is the second year for these resources, and the results are exciting to see,” said Lindi Kocher, INFB’s education coordinator.

In preparation for their time in classrooms, volunteers attended the AITC summer workshops to learn new programs and activities to offer at their schools. These workshops continue to attract educators from across the state.

“We had over 80 educators and volunteers participate in the workshops held in June 2022,” Kocher said.

Iris Eller, Howard County AITC volunteer, is working hard to prepare lessons for this year. She provides her students with the opportunity to work with the Kokomo Farmers Market’s Little Sprout Club and attend their market to learn more about where their food comes from.

Eller plans to use the Book of the Year to teach her students about the various ways soybeans are used in their daily lives. Howard County students will be using a soybean plant to learn and label the different parts of the plant, take home soy crayons and coloring sheets, and see displays of soybean byproducts.

“We have enjoyed using the Book of the Year because they are accurate ag books that give children and adults a true picture of agriculture. We appreciate the diligence in selecting these books and look forward to the unveiling of the new book at state convention,” said Eller.

Workshop and webinar opportunities will continue into the fall for anyone interested in becoming an AITC volunteer. The fall webinar will be held virtually on Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. ET. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about what is available through AITC.

To prepare for the 2022-2023 school year, INFB delivered 500 classroom kits to Indiana agriculture education departments and family consumer science departments. These kits included the new Indiana agriculture poster, a copy of the Indiana Ag Mag and an AITC pen. Indiana agriculture posters will be available soon on the INFB promotion store along with an entomology kit, which includes preserved insects that will allow students to study common beneficial insects.

Volunteers are always welcome to participate in the AITC program. Any questions regarding the program can be directed to Lindi Kocher at  lkocher@infb.org or (317) 692-7870.