Georgia Ag Experience visits Cross Creek Elementary
Published 3:35 pm Tuesday, February 1, 2022
- Payton Fletcher/Times-Enterprise The 36-foot mobile unit that houses the Georgia Ag Experience program. It is often hauled out a day to locations, such as Cross Creek, a day in advance of any demonstrations.
THOMASVILLE — The Georgia Foundation of Agriculture brought the importance of farming and farmers to Cross Creek Elementary School this past week with their Georgia Ag Experience program.
From January 24 to 26, the 36-foot mobile classroom that housed the program was parked at Cross Creek, rotating out over 400 third graders through the educational interactive games and videos that the experience had to offer, such as watching cotton being refined into fabric and digital poultry-raising and egg-collecting games.
Virginia Fulwood, a GFA education program assistant, said the mobile classroom program was aiming to give the younger generation insight into the commodities, such as beef and corn, that farmers contribute to their local communities and beyond.
“There’s a learning gap in where our food comes from,” Fulwood said.
She said that the students were eager to learn and very curious about what the mobile classroom had to offer.
“It’s been great,” Fulwood said, “They have tons of questions.”
Opening the eyes of children to the opportunities of agricultural careers, Fulwood mentioned, was of great importance.
The STEM-based educational program is intended to showcase agricultural on-the-road and travels throughout Georgia, regularly visiting elementary schools and community organizations.
During her time at Cross Creek, Fulwood was joined by Dr. Scott Sweeting, the science instructional coordinator for Thomas County Schools, Stacey Merritt and Edwina Courtney, members of the Thomas County Farm Bureau office staff, and Michaela White, a volunteer from the Thomas County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.
Ashley Lane, the principal of Cross Creek, said that she was delighted to welcome the Georgia Ag Experience program to her school.
“It’s wonderful,” Lane said, “It shows what agriculture looks like in the state of Georgia.”
The program recently completed it’s first full year of educational visits in 2021.
The GFA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of, “To prepare the next generation of Georgia farmers and leaders for success in agriculture.”
The Georgia Ag Experience program is sponsored by organizations such as Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, Springer Mountain Farms Corporation, Georgia Peanut Commission and other agriculture-based groups.
Payton Fletcher can be reached at 229-226-2400, ext. 1826
