Bradt students learn the importance of agriculture

Bradt students in Jennifer Palleschi’s second grade class were visited by Cornell Cooperative Extension Community Nutrition Educator Deborah Griswold. Griswold is a registered dietitian who works in conjunction with a grant from the New York State Agriculture in the Classroom program. 

The Agriculture in the Classroom program uses hands-on lessons to introduce students to dairy agriculture. Through the program, students have the opportunity to learn about careers in dairy farming and what such jobs entail. Topics covered in the classroom have included an overview of dairy farming, producing ice cream and other milk products, inspecting farms and factories and veterinary science. 

Students were also educated on how dairy products are used by other industries to create products we use every day such as gasoline, soda, clothes and paper. 

“These lessons are important for our students because it teaches them about nutrition, the origin of their food, and gives them a greater respect for where their food comes from–and for the people who work in the agricultural industry,” said teacher Jennifer Palleschi. “I also love that it gives them a connection to a part of the community they may not be familiar with.”

Griswold will return in March to teach the students about seed germination. The students will get to plant their own tomato seeds and tend to them over time as the plants grow. 

For the following lesson Griswold will teach the students about the ice cream making process and how their favorite treat would not exist without dairy.