By outdoor-nature-child.com In an exciting collaboration with the San Francisco Farm Bureau (SFFB), over a thousand elementary school students recently participated in “Ag Field Trip Day.” This event allowed students to explore the origins of food firsthand at the National Rodeo and Youth Livestock Exhibition, held at the iconic Cow Palace in San Francisco.
Students from various public schools in San Francisco engaged in a variety of interactive agricultural activities. These included demonstrations of wool spinning, hands-on craft projects, and lessons about plant life cycles and vegetable identification. They also enjoyed a presentation on the nutritional benefits of beef from the California Cattlewomen’s Association, livestock exhibitions featuring calf roping and branding, and exciting cowboy performances. Additionally, they had the opportunity to meet the National Rodeo Queen and the local rodeo queen, participate in healthy eating classes, and interact with farm animals. Teachers received guided tour packages that included related lesson plans to extend the learning experience beyond the event.
California State Treasurer Fiona Ma attended the event and expressed her support for agricultural education. “It’s such a vibrant event. Many young people are eager to touch livestock, learn about insects, taste fresh honey produced by local bees, and discover how to preserve fruits,” she commented. Ma emphasized the critical role of food in our lives, noting that California produces 400 different agricultural products, making it the leading agricultural state in the nation. She hopes that this unique event helps raise awareness about agriculture and the importance of supporting farmers and ranchers to ensure food independence and safety.
Organizers shared that field trip activities often face funding challenges, especially regarding transportation. However, SFFB has tackled this issue through advocacy. Since its establishment, the organization has raised $5,600 for bus costs, boosting participation from last year’s 330 students to over 1,000 this year.
Officially founded on February 15 of this year, SFFB is the 54th county farm bureau in California and the most recently approved chapter in nearly 40 years. The organization focuses on urban food cultivation while enhancing food access and education in San Francisco, the 17th largest city in America.