The third annual Ag Day at Crestline Elementary School brought a host of farm animals to campus this past week when more than 500 children learned about agriculture, farm life and where their food comes from.   

Barb Helton, environmental teacher at the school, organizes the event every year.   

“We had several stations for our kids to visit. Stations consisted of several farm animals, including cows, goats, horses and pigs. We also had three hayrides, a tractor station, 4H station, sheep, rabbits and turkeys,” Helton said. 

Photo by Rachel Howard

Photo by Rachel Howard

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

In Helton’s 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 Bradley Hopkins and the Morgan County Co-Op, without their help there would have been no pens for the animals,” Helton said. “Thanks to Hartselle High FFA students and parents for bringing farm animals for our students’ education.”  

Helton said the main goal of the event is to help educate students about where their food comes from.  

Photo by Rachel Howard

“Ag Day celebrates the farmer because students know that without farmers, we could have no food,” the veteran teacher said. “Learning where our food comes from, and how it gets from the field to the plate, is so important.”