Hawks Nest hosts second graders; Food for America encourages engagement with Ag

 Food for America was May 3 and 4  this year. Second graders from 12 different elementary schools made their way to North Harford to learn about where their food comes from. 

     The field trip to the high school is an extension to their studies on food, where it comes from, and the role agriculture plays in the world. The elementary schools that attended included  Forest Hill, Churchville, Dublin, Riverside, Havre de Grace, Deerfield, Bakerfield, Hickory, Jarrettsville, Magnolia, Emmorton, and Bel Air. 

   Agriculture science teacher  Mrs. Aimee Densmore has been running Food for America for the past 15 years and she says she does the “organizing the schools attending, recruiting station teachers and group leaders.” While teaching NRAS small animal strand classes, animal science 2, and equine science. She has been teaching agriculture for the past 20 years “two years at Georgia and 18 years at North Harford.”

     The Ag students have stations set up for the second graders to go to and learn about different things we do and all the animals we have. “This opportunity gives them the chance to share their knowledge of their favorite animal at school, piece of equipment, and projects they have worked on,” Densmore said. Some of the different stations included planting seeds, beekeeping, working in the aquaculture lab, or working with reptiles. “I love seeing the Ag students shine when they get to share their passion,” Densmore said.

     Food for America teaches the second graders “to make real life connections to what they learn in class.” This field trip helps them put the end of their agriculture units they have learned about where their food comes from and how it’s made. 

     Sophomore Cole Hellwig had a station at Food for America which was agriculture literacy also paired with simon says “once the kids stopped listening to the story then we played simon said afterwards and had a great time.” On the first day Hellwig saw up to 200 kids at his station that he had running with two other students from agriculture. The kids “were constantly in and out and we read the same book over and over again so all [of] them learned the same thing,” Hellwig said. 

     Alumna of North Harford, Elizabeth Eakes is now a second grade teacher at Hickory Elementary and had her class come for Food for America. Her students were excited about the animals and being able to pet them. Eakes thought her students liked having the “hands on experience.”

     Second grader Bailey Baldwin from Deerfield elementary’s favorite animal was “definitely the pigs.” She said she learned that “the baby pigs get separated from their moms.” Logan Bailey from Jarrettsville Elementary’s favorite animal was “Dusty the donkey.” Her friend in her class Regan Frie’s favorite animal was “the horses.”