Photos by Rachel Howard

Lions, tigers and bears – oh my! – but it was more like cows, horses and all other farm animals imaginable. The second annual Ag Day brought those and more to Crestline Elementary School this past week, when more than 500 children learned about farm life and where their food comes from.  

Barb Helton, science and agriculture teacher at the school, organizes the event. Helton said she began planning Ag Day a couple of months ago.  

“We had 16 stations for our kids to visit. Stations consisted of several farm animals, guineas, turkeys, a Great Pyrenees, soybean byproducts, tractors, two picture stations, hayrides and a vegetable station,” Helton said. “One goal is to help educate students about where their food comes from. Students know that without farmers, we could have no food.”  

The day ended with Crestline students watching the movie “Babe,” which is about the life of a farm pig.  

“Students learned about being more self-sufficient and growing a garden,” she said.  

In her outdoor classroom, students have grown a litany of vegetables, from tomatoes and okra to sweet potatoes and carrots.  

Helton said older students were also educated about the growing number of career choices in the agriculture industry through their participation in Ag Day.  

She said the event could not have been successful without help from various businesses and organizations in the community.  

“This day could not have been possible without the help of the Morgan County Co-Op, Lowe’s, the Chamber of Commerce and all the folks who brought machinery, animals and farm products,” she said.  

“Kyle Woodard, who is the ag teacher at the high school, brought his students to assemble pens, assist where needed and help clean at the end of the event,” she added. 

“I’d like to thank everyone who had a part in making this day possible.”