ALBEMARLE, NC – Rep. Larry Kissell (NC-08) joined third graders from around Stanly County during a visit at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center for one of three Agriculture Awareness Days this week.
Agriculture Awareness Days seeks to increase agricultural awareness in the community and demonstrate the importance of agriculture in everyday life. The event targets school children, however, church groups, senior citizen organizations, and daycare centers also take part in the event. The event showcases North Carolina’s major field and horticultural crops, aquaculture, livestock, poultry, farm equipment, pesticide use, and other agricultural enterprises.
“Educating the next generation about the importance of agriculture is critical,” said Kissell. “Our farmers work tirelessly to make sure that we have clothes on our back, food on our tables, and a roof over our head. Getting our children involved with the agricultural practices of the region allows them to truly understand how important farming is. Events like Agriculture Awareness Days allows our young people to learn outside of the classroom and I was honored to be there with them as they explored all that North Carolina farming has to offer.”
Lori Ivey, Director of North Carolina Corporative Extension, highlighted the event and thanked Kissell for coming.
“This was our 8th Annual Agriculture Awareness Days event and we do it to educate our children, who are usually one to two generations removed from farming,” said Ivey. “We are in a rural community and agriculture is so important to our county as well as the state of North Carolina and it is our hope that we not only educate the children, but that they will go home and talk to their parents and siblings about how important agriculture is. They visit twelve rotating stations that each have to do with the type of farming done in the region including cotton, soy beans, corn, beef cattle, sheep, and goats. There is also a station that goes over the importance of knowing the different types of soil as well as a beekeeping station that shows how bees are an important player in crop growth. We really enjoyed having Congressman Kissell here and we appreciate him taking the time to stop by.”
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Photo Attached: Rep. Larry Kissell (NC-08) helps share the value of agriculture with Stanly County third graders as they visit the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center for Agriculture Awareness Days.
