Save The Date!

SCFB's Annual Ag Days is set for March 24th & 25th, 2010. Don't miss it!
For further info contact Tim Tesconi 707-544-5575 or ttesconi@sonomacountyfarmbureau.com

Farm Bureau’s Ag Days Provides Farm Experience for 5,000 City Kids
Story By Tim Tesconi
Photographs by Sharon Beretta and Lisa Bauer

Petaluma rancher Nancy Barlas, who patiently answered questions from hundreds of kids about her goats’ eating habits, best captures the spirit of the dedicated farmers and ranchers who join with Sonoma County Farm Bureau to stage Ag Days each year.

“Ag Days is a way to teach kids what Sonoma County is all about and Sonoma County is all about agriculture,” said Barlas, who is passionate about keeping farms and ranches part of the county’s landscape. “Agriculture is the heart and soul of Sonoma County and we have to let the next generation know that.”

Like many ranchers, Barlas believes it’s important for youngsters, far removed from the farm, to understand that agriculture not only drives the economy but defines Sonoma County’s landscape and lifestyle. She believes it’s important for the agricultural industry to educate the next generation of voters about the farms and ranches that generate more than $3 billion in revenue and cover more than 500,000 of the county’s one million acres.

“Ag Days provides an experience every kid should have growing up in Sonoma County,” said Barlas, a third generation Petaluma rancher whose agricultural roots run deep in Sonoma County. “Since most kids don’t live on farms anymore, it’s up to us to provide that agricultural experience.”

Ag Days was held on March 17 and 18 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Ag Days is a spring tradition in Sonoma County, a time when the county’s agriculture industry brings a taste of farm life to town so thousands of school children can learn more about the pastures, orchards and vineyards that unfold where city streets end. For kids it was a chance to learn that wool comes from sheep and cows provide the milk sold in grocery stores.

“I learned how a sheep’s wool can give us so many things. My favorite part of Ag Days was petting the horse and the piglets,” said Brian Flores, 8, of Santa Rosa.

“I learned that milk and marshmallows come from a cow and healthy things are good for your body,” said Monica Zhuky, 9, of Santa Rosa.

This year’s Ag Days, sponsored by Sonoma County Farm Bureau, was the biggest ever in the 29 years it’s been held to celebrate agriculture’s role in Sonoma County. There were 5,000 school kids, 1,200 parents and more than 300 teachers, a total of more than 6,000 people, attending the two-day event.

Steve Liebentritt, manager of Les Schwab Tires on Santa Rosa Avenue, gave out more than 4,000 bags of popcorn to kids coming to Ag Days. Les Schwab Tires is a longtime exhibitor, bringing a huge tire for the kids to climb on and explore.

“We believe it’s important to participate in activities that provide worthwhile learning experiences for the children of Sonoma County,” said Liebentritt.

There were farm animal exhibits, sheep shearing demonstrations, hay maze, tractors and many other exhibits and demonstrations related to the county’s farming industry and the environment. New this year, were alpacas from Brookfarm Alpacas, owned by Mark and Debbie Emery of Glen Ellen.
Kids munched on Pink Lady apples and sampled cheese and milk produced by Sonoma County cows. The idea is for kids to see, touch, taste and smell Sonoma County agriculture.

“Ag Days is a unique opportunity where we can educate children, parents and teachers all together about the importance of agriculture to their lives and to the community,” said Lex McCorvey, executive director of Sonoma County Farm Bureau.

Ag Days encourages kids to see, smell and touch agriculture, whether it’s squeezing wool or cuddling a piglet. The only admonition for kids is “please touch the animals.”

“It’s just so great to watch the kids touching calves, climbing hay bales and getting on tractors without someone screaming at them to get off or don’t touch. We encourage touching because that’s the kind of experience we had as children growing up on a ranch. It’s a way for kids to connect with agriculture and natural environment,” said Bodega cattle rancher Walt Ryan, chairman of Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Education Committee.

Farm Bureau strives to make the exhibits interesting and interactive.

Enid Pickett, a kindergarten teacher at Waldo Rohnert Elementary School in Rohnert Park, said the field trip to Ag Days is part of her educational unit on farms and food. She said every grade at Waldo Rohnert has its own garden plot where the students grow all kinds of produce including sunflowers and pumpkins.

“Ag Days is one of our favorite field trips because it ties together what we talk about in class. Children get to see the cows, sheep and pigs that are on Sonoma County farms,” said Pickett.

Doug Beretta, a Santa Rosa dairy rancher and immediate past president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau, has been participating in Ag Days for 25 years, bringing Jersey calves for city kids to pet and pamper. Beretta tells the children about his life as an organic dairy farmer and the joys and challenges of farming.

“Ag Days are all about educating and connecting with kids,” said Beretta, “I look forward to meeting the kids and helping them gain a better understanding of agriculture and our farm practices. There are more urban residents than farmers in Sonoma County so agriculture’s future depends on voters who have an understanding and appreciation for the farming industry that keeps land in open space and maintains the rural character that makes Sonoma County such a special place.”

Beretta said over the last two decades he has noticed a definite trend as Sonoma County’s human population grows: there are fewer kids coming to Ag Days who have a farm background.

“Today even the parents coming to Ag Days have little connection with farms or the land. Twenty years there were some parents who had a direct link to a farm through parents and grandparents,” said Beretta. “Every year people in Sonoma County are further removed from the farm experience.”

Teachers say Ag Days offers students a real life experience that re-enforces the lesson plans presented in the classroom about agriculture’s role in Sonoma County. It’s easier to understand that wool comes from a sheep after seeing a sheep being sheared and the wool layed out like a big fluffy blanket.

“It’s a fabulous educational experience. My students are learning how important agriculture is to Sonoma County,” said Trey Willis, a teacher at Cinnabar School in Petaluma.

Ag Days has grown into a major event to represent the many facets of Sonoma County agriculture. Farm Bureau sponsors Ag Days but many agriculture-related groups and individual ranchers support the event. Ranchers like Cheryl LaFranchi, Bobby and Jamie Mickelson, Nancy Barlas, the Ray Crawford Family and Dick Dilworth bring livestock ranging from Boer goats to draft horses.

“I do it for the kids,” said Geyserville’s Dick Dilworth, who brought his draft horse and mules to Ag Days.

Horse trainer Raye Lochert was the announcer at a horse demonstraton showing what kids can do with horses. It was a way for kids to show other kids about the skills that can be learned at local stables.

In addition to the Ag Days exhibits and demonstrations, Farm Bureau also sponsors a number of contests aimed at making children think about the source of their food and fiber. This year the theme of the contests was “Local Farms Keep Sonoma County Green.”

Hundreds of school children entered the contests, which included categories for the best bookmark, poster, essay, scarecrow, mural and farm photograph. The winners in the various contests were recognized at Farm Bureau’s Ag Days Awards Dinner on March 17. There were more than 800 guests at the Ag Days Dinner where parents, teachers, principals and agriculture leaders came together to recognize the accomplishments of the students who were winners in the Ag Days contests.

Kenn Cunningham, an executive with Exchange Bank in Santa Rosa, was the master of ceremonies. Awards were presented by Sonoma County supervisor Shirlee Zane and Carl Wong, superintendent of the Sonoma County Office of Education.

Ag Days Highlights

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