Agriculture Awareness and Appreciation Award: Washington Ag in the Classroom

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1 Agriculture Awareness and Appreciation Award: Washington Ag in the Classroom Outreach Team Application Abstract Washington Ag in the Classroom (WAIC) is a program devoted to increasing agricultural knowledge and literacy in students, teachers, and citizens throughout the state. To inform the public about agriculture using fact-based information about modern farming enterprises and practices, WAIC staff and volunteers conduct year-round, state-wide outreach. An advisory board oversees WAIC activities, which include distribution of a thrice-yearly educational newsletter; partnership with The Seattle Times to produce an annual Newspapers in Education (NIE) insert focusing on the state s agriculture; and sponsorship of agricultural literacy activities throughout the state every year. Funded solely through donations, WAIC sends 22,000 Ag@School issues to about 650 Fourth Grade classrooms three times each school year. Ag@School aligns with Washington Educational Standards in Science, Math, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, and Integrated Environmental and Sustainability. The NIE insert is included in the Sunday Times published closest to Earth Day. The eight-page, full-color insert reaches up to 1,196,600 Sunday readers and 913,600 weekday readers. Each NIE issue is also sent to about 1,000 teachers and more than 39,000 students in 527 locations throughout four of the seven most-populated counties in the state. NIE incorporates Educational Standards and aligns with Grade 6-8 Science Standards in Application and Life Science Ecosystems standards. WAIC's goal is to help teachers, especially those with little knowledge of agriculture, integrate the study of this vast industry into existing curriculum so students will understand, appreciate, and support agricultural enterprises and producers in the state. County Situation (10 points possible). Describe your county situation; total acreage, farmed acreage, agricultural income, major crops and livestock, total population and farm vs. non-farm shares of total population; economic importance of agriculture, agribusiness and other industries, and community attitudes toward agriculture and public relations opportunities. NOTE: Washington Ag in the Classroom (WAIC) is a statewide program, so statewide statistics will be used. USDA 2012 Ag Census data report there were 37,249 farms in WA State producing 300 commodities. Farms averaged 396 acres per farm; a total of 14,748,107 acres out of the state s 42.6 million total acres was farmed. Income averaged $249,135 per farm, but nearly one-third of farms had less than $1,000 in income. Farming accounted for 100% of income on only 5.6% of farms. About 18% of primary operators were female. Of principle operators, 96.5% were Caucasian and all minority farmers were less than 2% each. In 2012, principle operators represented 0.54% of Washington s total population of 6.896M. Thirty-five percent of

2 state residents live in unincorporated areas and a reported 116,105 people live on farms. The state s value of food and agricultural industry was reported to be $51B in The market value of crops and livestock was $10.2B in 2013, a new high for the third year in a row. Food and agricultural exports in 2013 were valued at $15.1B, which is the third largest total in the U.S. Agriculture generates 12-13% of Washington s economy and employs approximately 160,000 people. In addition to agriculture and food manufacturing, other key industries in WA State and their economic value to the state (when available) are forestry ($28B); trade, transportation, and utilities; education; health services, life science and global health ($11.1B); professional and business services; leisure and hospitality professions; manufacturing ($155B); tourism; hydroelectric power; computer software; maritime enterprises ($30B); military and defense ($13B); information and communication technology ($18.6B); clean technology ($1B); and the aerospace industry ($76B). Washington s agricultural industry is incredibly diverse. Products produced and sold include sheep, milk, cattle, nursey/greenhouse products, Christmas trees, red raspberries, blueberries, potatoes, poultry, cranberries, hay and haylage, apples, cherries, peas, wheat, barley, timber, horses, grapes, dry peas and lentils, stone fruits, farm forest products, fish, shellfish, carrots, onions, sweet corn, canola, and mint oils. Washington's apple industry leads the nation with 70% of U.S. production and is the state s most valuable crop ($2.19B). Other products in the state s Top 10 are milk ($1.3B), wheat ($1.01B), potatoes ($792M), cattle/calves ($706M), hay/haylage ($675M), sweet cherries ($385M), grapes ($278M), pears ($225M), and hops ($202M). Record high values of production were established in 2013 for five of the top ten products: milk, potatoes, cattle/calves, grapes, and pears. In 2012, Washington was #1 in U.S. production for green peas for processing, carrots for processing, red raspberries, hops, spearmint oil, peppermint oil, wrinkled seed peas, apples, sweet cherries, pears, and concord grapes. Regarding livestock inventories in 2012, the state had 777,000 beef cattle, 383,000 dairy cattle, 25,000 meat goats, 6,700 dairy goats, 52,000 sheep and lambs, 18,055,000 poultry, and a small hog industry. Milk production averaged 23,794 per dairy cow. As is true throughout the U.S., there is an increasing disconnection between agricultural producers and American consumers. With less than 2% of the population feeding the other 98% (and the world), it is less common than ever for the average citizen to know a farmer personally. A troubling statement recently overheard came from an adult who said, I don t care about farmers. I get my food from the grocery store. Reports of children saying food is made in the back of the grocery store are increasingly common.

3 Being unconnected to food production in any personal way, consumers have come to rely on mass media for information about agriculture. Unfortunately, much of the media on the heavily-populated western side of the state promotes an editorial agenda through topics it covers, subject matter experts it uses, and inflammatory language. For example, in Washington State, the re-establishment of wolf populations in rural areas is heartily supported by urban residents (the majority of voters) while feared by rural residents whose lives can be directly affected by wolves. In addition, unknowledgeable activists are increasingly involved with influencing those who make decisions that affect agricultural practices. The state s Department of Ecology is establishing regulations not based on science, but an apparent anti-agriculture policy. It has deemed all water as waters of the state and all farms have the potential to pollute and are therefore subject to regulation and investigation, even without a prior record of violation. Uninformed public opinion is targeting practices of what they perceive to be factory farms yet the vast majority of U.S. farms are family owned. Farrowing crates have been outlawed in CA and probably elsewhere; baby pig mortality will increase and so will pork prices. Docking of cattle tails will no longer be a producer s decision it will be outlawed. Public concern over antibiotic resistant bacteria focused not on direct human overuse or antibiotics but instead on routine use in livestock feeds, giving birth to the upcoming Veterinary Feed Directive. Again, this policy change will result in reduced livestock growth rates, increased death losses, increased production expenses, and increased food prices for consumers. A mandatory GMO labeling initiative appeared on last year s ballot in WA; it was defeated but will re-appear in the future. If it passes, it will force producers to incur added expense to market their products. The WAIC program produces educational materials and conducts outreach to present the facts about the state s education. Comments such as I didn t know you didn t have to kill a sheep to get the wool or I didn t know a hen will lay eggs without a rooster around indicate the pervasive lack of knowledge about agriculture. The program s Public Relations specialist travels to conferences and meetings throughout the state to promote WAIC, seek donations to support outreach, and educate the public about the state s agricultural industry. Public Relations Objective (30 points possible). Explain how and by whom objectives were established. List Public Relations objectives. They should be pertinent, realistic, specific, measurable, and aimed directly at achieving a better understanding of agriculture in your community. Explain the relationship of your objectives to the situation in your county. WAIC is a school-based education program aimed at enhancing agricultural literacy in K-12 students and educators throughout Washington State; its projects reflect that objective. WAIC defines agricultural literacy thusly: an agriculturally-literate person understands and can communicate the source and value of agriculture as it affects our quality of life. WAIC's goal is to help teachers, especially those with little knowledge of agriculture, integrate the study of this vast industry into existing curriculum. This primary goal

4 targets the widespread lack of accurate knowledge of how food is produced in the state and nation, particularly on the more urban western side of the state. Agriscience, agribusiness, and production agriculture form the largest industry in America. Environmental issues such as land use, water quality, air quality, and wildlife protection are inextricably linked to agriculture. Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders, and as future leaders, students must have an understanding of agriculture and how it affects their world. The WAIC advisory board meets quarterly and maintains a dynamic program. The board discusses and votes on officers, outreach methods, policies, objectives, scholarships, and personnel issues. The board also prioritizes outreach based on the availability of funds. Board members include representatives of the state Department of Agriculture, land-grant University, Grange, education sector, and volunteers from the beef, dairy, sheep, field crop, and orchard industries. There is a part-time office manager and a part-time public relations (PR) representative; the latter does most of the program promotion, but advisory board members also conduct PR outreach. PR goals include expanding knowledge of WAIC throughout the state; increasing the number of subscribers to the free Ag@School newsletter; increasing agricultural literacy through conducting public readings of Who Grew My Soup? and training volunteers to do likewise. PR outreach includes education about what WAIC is and does and how the program is funded so the public can appreciate the effort is funded solely by donations. Long-term financial sustainability is a major objective at this time, so much effort is currently being expended on soliciting more supporters. To increase the number of people conducting agricultural literacy activities throughout the state, the WAIC board offers $500 scholarships to support such efforts. Teachers are the most frequent applicants but the opportunity is available to all who apply and are interested in conducting agricultural literacy outreach. There is no cap on the number of WAIC advisory board members and new members are continuously solicited. Each board member quickly becomes a devoted and passionate supporter of both Washington agriculture and WAIC if they are not already. Each is able to share with their peers what WAIC is doing to increase agricultural literacy throughout the state and encourage support from a wide variety of industries. WAIC often has an informational booth and/or agricultural literacy activities at Farm Fairs, Ag Days, County Fairs, school events, agricultural organization conventions (Grange, FFA, Farm Bureau), producer association meetings, and community events. The PR representative is a beef producer and long-time Farm Bureau member; she is well-connected to the agricultural industry throughout the state. She is also passionate about agriculture and shares an infectious level of enthusiasm with all audiences she contacts on behalf of WAIC.

5 Program Execution (30 points). Describe your Public Relations activities; what was done; your role and contributions; actions and responsibilities of others. Explain how activities related to objectives. The Washington Ag in the Classroom (WAIC) program is devoted to educating consumers about agriculture. In an effort to inform the public about agriculture using fact-based information about modern farming enterprises and practices, WAIC staff and volunteers conduct year-round, state-wide outreach. Unlike other states, WAIC has no steady funding from Farm Bureau, Conservation Districts, State Governments, or any other source; all funding comes from donations. Public relations and program promotion activities of the board include: Hiring a part-time PR manager and office manager Creation and maintenance of a web site for distribution of educational materials and information about WAIC ( including a curriculum matrix, lesson plans, and resources Creation and use of two Facebook sites: and for children. Agriculture literacy training for volunteers Exhibition booths at fairs, schools, farms, conferences, and other public venues Scholarships to support agriculture literacy activities Production and distribution of three Ag@School issues and teachers guides every school year Collaboration on the Newspapers in Education (NIE) project with The Seattle Times Identification of farm families to feature in Ag@School Solicitation of educational articles and photographs for Ag@School and NIE inserts Production of an annual Summary of Accomplishments that is distributed to funders and potential donors Solicitation of WAIC donations and sponsorships These efforts help WAIC work toward its goal to increase the public s knowledge and understanding of Washington agriculture, with an emphasis on K-12 students and teachers. Factual information is disseminated to help dispel myths and misunderstandings about modern farming practices and highlight environmental protection and conservation practices routinely employed by farmers. With more knowledge should come more understanding and support for Washington agriculture and farmers. The applicant/nacaa member s role included active participation on the WAIC advisory board since 2011; authorship of articles for the NIE insert; editorial duties for the NIE insert and Ag@School magazines; counting, stuffing, and mailing Ag@School issues; promoting WAIC activities statewide; promoting opportunities to support WAIC; soliciting authors, articles, farm family feature stories, and photographs for the NIE insert and Ag@School magazines; and hosting WAIC advisory board meetings.

6 Results and Evaluation (30 points possible). Explain your results and how they relate to objectives. List number of persons reached personally through media, etc. Describe effects on attitudes toward agriculture. For each of the three issues mailed to Fourth Grade classrooms in October, January and April each school year, 22,000 magazines are mailed to 584 subscribers. Some teachers receive up to 400 magazines for several classrooms under one name, so 600 to 650 different classrooms are involved throughout the state. WAIC also partners with The Seattle Times Company to produce a newspaper insert as part of the Newspapers in Education (NIE) project. Included in the Sunday Times published closest to Earth Day, the eight-page, full-color insert reaches the full readership of The Seattle Times (print and electronic editions), which is up to 1,200,300 Sunday readers and 913,600 weekday readers. Electronic access included 3,871 visits (many schools are recorded as a single visitor), 75,525 page views, 142 school districts, and weekly average NIE circulation of 34,138. Also, 10,000 copies of each NIE issue are sent to about 1,100 teachers and reach more than 44,000 students in 610 locations. NIE goes to 56% of King County schools, 50% of Snohomish County schools, 26% of Kitsap County schools, and 14% of Pierce County schools. These are four of the seven most populous counties in the state and are in the Seattle area, where first-hand knowledge of agriculture is much less common than in eastern Washington. NIE incorporates educational standards and aligns with Grade 6-8 Science Standards in Application and Life Science Ecosystems standards. The 2015 NIE insert was titled Stewardship and Conservation in Agriculture and focused on how farmers incorporate concern for natural resources and the environment in their farming practices. NIE is supported by donations, which are tax deductible and provide students and teachers with free access to The Seattle Times. Donors to the NIE project include state poultry, dairy, pork, and potato producer associations; the state Department of Agriculture; Pike Place Market; private for-profit agriculture companies and farming enterprises; and non-profit organizations supporting agriculture and timber industries. Authors of NIE articles include WAIC board members, graduate students, Extension educators, and industry representatives. When asked What did your students find useful/learn about from the insert? What sort of resources would be helpful to use in your classroom?, replies from teachers about the NIE insert include: Surprised to learn the diversity of Washington s agriculture Connection to economy. Great background info about plants and food Fits well with agriculture that is important to our community. Had the students read the section and pick an agricultural crop to explore and learn the conservation applications used by farmers on a local state and national level. They were surprised how important the industry is to WA It was something that they never thought off inquiring about.

7 We have local egg farmers here that came in and helped provide more information for the students. The data was helpful to write their essay Our CTE teacher used these materials in her beginning culinary arts class. Future outreach efforts will depend primarily on funding, but the advisory board hopes to add Sheep to Shawl educational demonstrations, more content about the timber industry, and more information about Washington s growing export markets. Strengthening ties with 4-H, FFA, and agricultural education degree programs are also priorities for the near future.