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Foundation News
Ten Honored for Educating About Agriculture
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 27, 2013 – The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture recognized eight teachers and two volunteer educators for their exceptional efforts to encourage agricultural literacy. The educators will each receive $1,500 scholarships to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., in June. The Foundation, through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education, sponsors the scholarships in cooperation with the American Farm Bureau’s Women’s Leadership Committee.
This year’s teacher recipients are: Cathy Britts Axen, Central Middle School, North Aurora, Ill.; Cathy Carr, Banford Elementary School, Canton, N.Y.; Sarah Glenn, Huntsville Intermediate School, Elkins, Ark.; Shirley Lettkeman, Watonga Elementary School, Watonga, Okla.; Missy Locke, Richland Elementary School, Lynnville, Tenn.; Raymond Dennis Peavy, Lake Joy Elementary, Perry, Ga.; Andrea Jones Seagraves, Crawford County Eagle’s Nest, Musella, Ga.; and Debra Templin, Prosperity-Rikard Elementary School, Prosperity, S.C.
This year’s volunteer recipients are: Martha Cripe of Vandalia, Ill., and Melvin Grones of Seguin, Texas.
Educators nationwide attend the conference to learn how to incorporate real-life agricultural applications into science, social studies, language arts, math and nutrition lessons. Scholarship recipients were judged on past use of innovative programs to educate students about agriculture as well as future plans to implement information gained at the AITC conference in their own lesson plans and share the information with other educators.
The AITC conference joins a diverse group of organizations and speakers to address how to improve agricultural education and literacy, showcase successful programs and offer educational materials. The Agriculture Department coordinates the AITC program with the goal of helping students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and state Farm Bureaus also support and participate in the program’s efforts. The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education honors two former American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were leaders in early national efforts to educate about agriculture and improve agricultural literacy.
DuPont Invests $250,000 in My American Farm Resource
NASHVILLE, Tenn., January 13, 2013 – DuPont and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture announced a $250,000 donation to the foundation’s My American Farm virtual education resource. The donation from DuPont’s seed business, DuPont Pioneer, will support new games and resources, increased outreach to K-12 stakeholders and a mobile application to increase access and use of this online educational portal.
Since its launch in 2010, the My American Farm program has engaged hundreds of thousands of youth, teachers and parents with online games and hands-on activities teaching core content subject areas including math, science, social studies, English language arts and health, while reinforcing key agricultural themes. In addition to offering educational experiences for youth from preschool to sixth grade, the program provides standards-based resources to teachers.
“DuPont Pioneer actively promotes science education with the goal of attracting more students to study and pursue careers in the sciences, including agriculture,” said Susan Bunz, vice president of policy and outreach for DuPont Pioneer. “We know we must grab their attention early to ensure youth remain engaged in science throughout their K12 experience and on into college. The My American Farm program supports this goal in a meaningful way.”
“The financial support of DuPont Pioneer has been critical to the creation and continued improvement of the My American Farm resource,” said Bob Stallman, president of the AFB Foundation for Agriculture. “With this new commitment, we will be able to continue to add new games, supporting materials and expand the reach of the program to more kids with the creation of a mobile application. This helps us both achieve our common goal of improving agricultural literacy for our children.”
The website, www.myamericanfarm.org, is a destination for children to learn math, social studies, language arts and science in the context of agriculture and food production by playing fun interactive games in a safe environment. In addition, the program provides high-quality educational resources for educators, adding to the materials provided by Farm Bureau’s highly successful Ag in the Classroom network.
The AFB Foundation is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the American Farm Bureau Federation. The Foundation fulfills a mission of building awareness, understanding and a positive public perception of agriculture through education.
DuPont Pioneer is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. Science with Service Delivering SuccessTM.
DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.
Foundation for Agriculture Presents Awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn., January 13, 2013 – State Farm Bureaus were recognized for outstanding financial support of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
The awards were presented during the Sunday general session and the Flapjack Fundraiser breakfast, at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 94th Annual Meeting.
State Farm Bureaus receiving the Scholar Award are: Alabama, Delaware, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Dakota. The Scholar Award is given to the six state Farm Bureaus with the highest total donations within their membership groups. The Scholar Award is a “traveling” award.
Delaware Farm Bureau received the Award of Excellence. To qualify for this award, a state Farm Bureau and all of the county Farm Bureaus within the state must donate to the Foundation.
In addition, 29 state Farm Bureaus received Apex Awards: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The Apex Award is presented to state Farm Bureaus that have increased total investment in the Foundation by 10 percent or more over the previous year.
“Like the apex of a plant, it is the generous contributions from individuals and families that nourish the Foundation and fuel its mission of increasing agricultural literacy,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
During the event, Stallman challenged Farm Bureau members to make 2013 a record year for donations to the Foundation.
“The donations from dedicated members like you help the Foundation provide programs, curriculums and projects to achieve our mission of building awareness, understanding and a positive perception of agriculture through education,” Stallman said.
Foundation for Agriculture Announces Book of the Year
NASHVILLE, Tenn., January 13, 2013 – The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its sixth annual “Book of the Year” award to Cat Urbigkit for “The Guardian Team: On the Job with Rena and Roo.” The book introduces young readers to Rena and Roo, a dog and burro team at work on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. Urbigkit included dynamic real-life photographs in the book.
 Cat Urbigkit with AFBF President Bob Stallman. |
Urbigkit is an award-winning writer and photographer who lives on a Wyoming sheep ranch. She writes for several media outlets and blogs, and honed her writing skills as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade.
A firm believer in using the written word to educate the public about agriculture, Urbigkit has channeled her enthusiasm for farming into reaching school-aged children in her entertaining and educational book.
“Living on a working ranch, I see beautiful things every day,” said Urbigkit. “I enjoyed watching the relationship grow between the burro, the pup and the lambs, as these young animals got to know each other, and as they matured together. It was a joy to watch, and it is a joy to share their story. It’s a true story, of a life in agriculture.”
The Book of the Year award springs from the Foundation’s effort to identify “accurate ag books,” a collection of more than 400 books for children, teenagers and adults that accurately cover agricultural topics. Book of the Year selections are educational, reflect farmers’ and ranchers’ love for the land and what they do, create positive public perceptions about agriculture, inspire readers to learn more and touch their readers’ lives as well as tell the farmer’s story. The Accurate Ag Books database is available at: http://www.agfoundation.org/.
The Foundation has created an educator’s guide and the Sheep Ag Mag publication as companion pieces to The Guardian Team: On the Job with Rena and Roo, which takes elementary students through various learning activities.
In honor of Urbigkit’s recognition and the host city of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2013 Annual Meeting, the book’s publisher, Boyds Mills Press, has donated 120 copies of The Guardian Team: On the Job with Rena and Roo to Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.