Darlington County educators earn credit by learning about agriculture

By Messenger Staff Reports

Published: July 14, 2008

ANDERSON – Educators in Darlington County’s Emmanuel Christian School, West Hartsville Elementary School, and Thornwell School of the Arts recently completed a rigorous week learning about the importance of family farmers and domestically produced food, fiber, and fuel at the SC Farm Bureau (SCFB) 2008 Summer Ag in the Classroom Teacher Institute in Anderson, SC. Participants came away from the institute better equipped to teach their students about the sources of their food, fiber, forestry products, and fuel. 

Elizabeth Atkinson and Heather Atkinson, teachers at Emmanuel Christian School, along with Gail Hutto, teacher at West Hartsville Elementary School, and Lynn Rogers, teacher at Thornwell School of the Arts, earned a complete set of grade-specific lesson plans aligned to the State curriculum standards to use in the classroom this fall.

These teachers also left the institute with hundreds of other resources that can be used to teach students about agriculture and the benefits farmers add to the economy, the environment, and the community.

Institute participants also received three hours of graduate credit (good towards their teacher re-certification) from Clemson University, courtesy of Farm Bureau’s 501(c)(3) Ag in the Classroom program. Participants each paid a $150 Institute registration fee, which covered the cost of tuition credits, teaching materials and class time, farm tours, and room and board. The registration fee is often reimbursed to educators by their local County Farm Bureau chapter, which means the Institute is free to those educators.

SCFB President and Sumter County farmer David Winkles said, “If agriculture is to maintain its status as South Carolina’s largest business sector – providing more than 450,000 jobs and more than $35 billion in annual gross sales – we’ve got to help people understand the link between their food, fiber and shelter and the farm. Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program is a tool to help us accomplish that goal through our state’s teachers.”

In addition to learning about their learning and teaching styles, teachers also heard from agriculture and education experts from North Carolina’s Ag in the Classroom program, Clemson University’s poultry embryology department and USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service. Tours of local farming operations and agribusinesses took teachers to Callaham’s Orchards in Belton, Major Farms in Honea Path, the Bowie Farm and Foundation in Iva, Palmetto Nursery in Anderson, the Welcome Ranch in Williamston, Kings Sunset Nursery in Easley, and Setzler Farms and Bush River Jerseys in Newberry.

Veteran classroom educator Vonne Baker who heads SCFB’s Ag in the Classroom program said, “In my 28 years of teaching experience I have never been part of a more rewarding higher education experience. I attended the first Institute many years ago and again last year before helping coordinate and conduct this year’s program. I never cease to be amazed at the positive impact agriculture makes in the lives of teachers from across the state during this one week. They left here true advocates of family farmers and the value of agriculture.”

The annual Institute, which moves among various geographic regions of the state each year, is open to pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade certified classroom teachers in SC public or private schools, continues to grow.

Farm Bureau’s director of Promotion and Education, Reggie Hall said, “We’ve seen a continuing increase in the number of applications over the past several years. Because the materials we provide teachers are aligned to the State curriculum standards, they are more likely to be used in classroom instruction.”

2008 Institute sponsors included the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, the AITC Fund, SC Beef Board, SC Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, SC Nursery and Landscape Association, SC Greenhouse Growers Association, SC Soybean Board, Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, SC Advocates for Agriculture, Palmetto Agribusiness Council, SC Peach Council, AgSouth Farm Credit, and County Farm Bureau chapters in Anderson, Newberry, and Pickens Counties.

Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program also offers year-round in-service workshops to South Carolina pre-kindergarten through middle school teachers, schools, and school districts. For more information or to schedule an in-service workshop, contact SCFB Ag Literacy Program Director Vonne Baker at 803-936-4409 or .