The Pennsylvania Beef Council recently collaborated with volunteers from across the beef industry to promote agricultural education during Pennsylvania Ag Literacy Week. This initiative aimed to connect agriculture professionals with elementary school students to help them understand the importance of agriculture and the role it plays in daily life.
The 2025 Ag Literacy Week, which took place from March 17-21, provided an opportunity for Pennsylvania classrooms to receive an agriculturally accurate and age-appropriate book. This book highlighted the story of beef production and its impact on the environment, communities, and daily living. The selected book, The Journal of Rowdy the Cow Kid by Amanda Radke, followed the life of Rowdy, a ranch kid, as he navigates life on a cattle ranch over the course of a year. The story highlights how cattle contribute to the land, water, and air, with the support of dedicated farmers and ranchers. The book was illustrated by western artist Michelle Weber and published by Ag Storytellers, ensuring an engaging and educational experience for young readers.
Each book came with a worksheet designed to help educators enhance the learning experience and bring the story to life for their students. Ag Literacy Week not only provided valuable resources but also offered volunteers the chance to connect with local classrooms and share firsthand knowledge of agriculture. By telling stories directly from farms in the community, volunteers were able to make the concepts of farming and food production more tangible for students.
The efforts of the PA Beef Council reached 31 school districts across Pennsylvania, impacting nearly 2,800 students. One of the highlights of this year’s Ag Literacy Week was the involvement of Eliza Walton, a board member of the PA Beef Council, who read to several classrooms in the Penns Valley Area School District. Walton, along with fellow beef farmers Chris and Heather Ishler, visited seven classrooms to share the book and discuss life on a farm. These readings allowed students, especially those from farming backgrounds, to share their experiences and knowledge of agriculture with their peers.
For Walton, the experience was personally rewarding. She believes that it is crucial for children—especially those who might not have direct access to farms—to have opportunities to learn about agriculture. Many students in rural areas may already be familiar with farming, but others may not fully understand where their food comes from or the role that farmers play in the community. Walton feels that introducing young people to the diverse faces of agriculture, from young farmers to women in the field, can help change misconceptions and inspire a broader appreciation for the industry.
The initiative also allowed students to realize that their food doesn’t just come from distant, impersonal sources, but from farms they may pass on their way to school. This exposure to farming, through the lens of local farmers, helps foster a greater understanding of and respect for agriculture. Walton’s work with the students demonstrated how essential it is to integrate agriculture education into the classroom, especially for children who may not be exposed to it in their everyday lives.
In conclusion, Pennsylvania Ag Literacy Week was a successful event that not only taught children about agriculture but also brought local farmers and classrooms closer together. Through the distribution of books, the sharing of knowledge, and personal interactions between farmers and students, the program fostered a greater connection to the land and food production. It highlighted the importance of agriculture in our daily lives and showed students that farming is a diverse and integral part of the community.
