Kentucky Teacher

Agriculture Commissioner James Comer honored the winners of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s annual Poster and Essay Contest at the annual Kentucky Agriculture Day luncheon recently.

“The winning entries really captured this year’s theme – ‘Agriculture Grows My Community,’” Commissioner Comer said. “Agriculture is responsible for thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of income in Kentucky communities of every size. Agriculture also is an important part of Kentucky’s heritage. I congratulate these young people for their efforts, and I thank their parents and teachers for their support.”

Statewide winners in each grade were awarded $100 each.

Public school essay contest winners and schools in each grade, with their teachers’ names in parentheses, were:

1st grade – Isis Carballo, Custer Elementary School, Breckinridge County (Cheryl Van de Streek)

2nd grade – Vincent Mayfield, Deer Park Elementary, Daviess County (Lisa Clark) Read the full story

A new federal report praises the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s efforts to get local foods onto the plates of school children throughout the state.

The report, submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Team, cited examples of successful farm to school efforts in the Jefferson and Montgomery County school systems. The Kentucky Proud farm marketing program includes 78 school districts among its more than 2,500 members. Read the full story

Evan's Orchard employee Leigh Ayres demonstrates the apple sorter for students from Anne Mason Elementary School (Scott County) Sept. 22, 2010. Photo by Amy Wallot

Schools benefitting from Farm to School program

By Susan Riddell
susan.riddell@education.ky.gov

As they took bites of different apples, 2nd-grade students at Anne Mason Elementary School (Scott County) kicked off a science unit without even realizing it.

On a field trip to nearby Evan’s Orchard, the youngsters performed a taste test of three apples to see which one was the class favorite. The trip was put together by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School program, which is geared toward providing local, healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables to school children, as well as helping local producers. Read the full story