Looking forward to Ag Literacy Week

One of the many wonderful things about living in New York’s Harlem Valley is that it’s remained a rural area, rich with the fertile soil that gives birth to bountiful harvests of incredible fruits and vegetables that eventually bless our dining tables, not to mention the many types of grass, hay and other sorts of feed various herds graze on that provide meat and dairy, or that nourish the fowl that then lay eggs for our families. 

This cycle of growth, rebirth and provision has been going on for generations. Thanks to programs like our state’s Agricultural Literacy Week, which runs from Monday, March 15, through Friday, March 19, thousands of New York students in first through third grade have been able to learn about that important history during the past 17 years during which Ag Literacy Week has been celebrated — which we think is simply phenomenal. 

In 2019, 2,300 students in Dutchess County classrooms, libraries and community groups alone were exposed to vital lessons about agriculture — and just how deeply the people of the Empire State and its economy depend on farming. Thanks to 4-H volunteers, like those at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County in Millbrook and those at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia and Greene Counties in Hudson, Harlem Valley students continue to get a first-hand look at the farming industry — long an important sector of the national, state and local economies. 

As of 2018, New York had nearly 7.2 million acres of farmland and was home to more than 35,000 farms, according to the state comptroller’s office. Its three best-selling agriculture items in 2017 were dairy products, greenhouse/nursery products and apples, according to www.netstate.com. 

The Harlem Valley itself was once dotted with dairy farms, though now far fewer remain. Today, however, the region can boast that it is home to one of the largest organic farms in the Northeast: McEnroe Organic Farm in Millerton. According to its website, www.mcenroeorganicfarm.com, it “is one of New York’s oldest and most diverse certified organic farms and stands at over 1,200 acres of fields, pastures and greenhouses.”

Students fortunate enough to grow up in the Harlem Valley are able to experience what it’s like to live among working farms. They get to see real, live cows grazing in the fields, to hear them “moo,” some even get to see them be milked (maybe even do the milking themselves) and to taste that fresh milk with the cream rising to the top moments later. 

Not every youngster is that fortunate. Think of the child who lives in the concrete jungle, among city skyscrapers choking back smog instead breathing in the scent of freshly-mowed fields and newly-rolled hay in the early morning hours. Those are two vastly different experiences — and learning what happens between planting a seed and plating a meal is an extremely valuable education for a child — especially when so many people are struggling with food insecurity. We can’t stress how critical continuing programs like Ag Literacy Week is for New York students in today’s world.

This year, although the program was forced to go virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers have done their utmost to make it engaging and fun. They are featuring the book, “Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish [Tales of the Dairy Godmother],” by author Viola Butler. 

“The book will help students understand the importance of dairy in communities across New York and learn about the journey their food takes from farm to fridge. With over 4,000 dairy farms and ranking fourth nationally as the largest producer of milk, dairy is vital to New York State,” explained Columbia and Greene Counties 4-H Youth Development Issue Leader Linda Tripp, who has done wonders leading 4-H members for the past number of years. “Students [will] learn about where food comes from and the people who are involved in producing essential products in their lives.”

Tripp noted that through the Ag Week activity, teachers will incorporate lessons dealing with ELA (English Language Arts), science, career development, the arts, social studies, geography and economics.

Plus, as Jane Rodd from the Millbrook 4-H added, “All participating [groups] will receive a copy of the book, recordings of it being read in English and Spanish and an ice cream making kit. NYS Ag in the Classroom is funding the purchase of 3 quarts of half-and-half as part of the ice cream kit.”

Now that’s a pretty sweet sounding project: informational and tasty — perfect for young students hungry to learn. 

Look for more on the upcoming Agriculture Literacy Week in next week’s issue of The Millerton News.