Agri-Fest- Polk County Florida
Master Gardeners work with youth at one of the eight agricultural stations.
Polk County Florida Master Gardeners received the 2011 International Master Gardener Conference “Search for Excellence” (SFE) Award for its Agri-Fest horticulture project which teaches 4th graders about seeds and plants, and the consumer products that they produce in the county’s agricultural economy. The 1st place award in the youth project category was presented by Monica David, SFE Chair, of the University of Illinois during the organization’s conference held October 11-14 in Charleston, WV. Carol Leffler gave a short presentation about Agri-Fest to 1,000 Master Gardeners attending the conference.
Agri-Fest “Horticulture” is a program that attracts 6,000 4th graders and 325 teachers annually in the spring. For 12 years, students have been coming to the Polk County Extension Service from throughout the county for this program, which is comprised of eight agricultural stations. Although the SFE Award was given for the Master Gardeners’ project relating to horticulture, students also visit other disciplines including citrus, blueberries, honeybees, livestock, forestry, phosphates, small farms, and the water cycle to learn about the local agricultural economy.
Polk County has experienced a 43% increase in population in the last decade. Most students are less likely to have direct experience with the historically agrarian lifestyle that is a basis of the Polk County economy, despite the continued importance of agriculture in their lives.
“Market Basket” shows youth relationship of Horticulture to everyday life
Polk County Master Gardeners redesigned the horticulture program in 2010, to focus on giving students hands-on experience,and developed a teaching tool called “The Market Basket” to introduce students to the direct relationship between horticulture and their everyday lives.
The “Market Basket” activity allows students to directly see how seeds and plants produce consumer goods they use in their everyday lives.
Students met in small breakout sessions, and worked closely with Master Gardeners in directed activities with plants, seeds, and consumer goods that result from the agricultural process. They also potted a plant to take home. The result is that students find themselves learning to appreciate plants and beginning to think about land and water conservation as the basis for success in their environment.
Link to SFE Application: http://polkmastergardener.ifas.ufl.edu/Agrifest/PolkCoFL_MGs_2011SearchforExcellenceApplication_1%20%281%29.pdf
Polk County FL Master Gardener Website: http://polkmastergardener.ifas.ufl.edu/Agrifest/index.shtml
Written by Carol Leffler, Polk County Master Gardener
Tags: Florida, market basket, search for excellence, sfeawards-youth projects, youth
