Over the past three decades, Barton County fourth-graders have experienced a day on the farm, gaining a deeper appreciation of where our food comes from and the vital role played by the agriculture industry in our local economy. With the 29th Kids Ag Day approaching, Scott Dewerff at KanEquip said the program may also plant a seed that inspires the next generation of employees in ag-related careers.

Dewerff is chairman of the Ag-Business Committee of the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce, which organizes Kids Ag Day. This year’s event will take place on Wednesday, September 6, at Diamond K Farm, owned by the Koelsch family, located in rural Great Bend.

More than 350 fourth-grade students from public and private schools in Claflin, Hoisington, Ellinwood, Otis-Bison, Pawnee Rock and Great Bend have been invited. Throughout the day, the students will engage in informative talks covering a wide range of subjects, including crops, livestock and machinery. They will also enjoy a hay rack ride, a petting zoo overseen by Great Bend High School FFA students, and a pizza lunch.

“Kids Ag Day has been a great success,” Dewerff said. Other communities within Kansas and beyond have developed similar programs, taking their inspiration from Barton County. Committee members take pride in the overwhelmingly positive feedback the program receives from teachers and students alike, as their experiences on the farm enrich their knowledge and appreciation for agriculture.

Now, after 30 years (the event skipped a year during the COVID-19 pandemic), there are adults who remember attending Kids Ag Day when they were fourth graders.

GBHS business instructor Robin Linsner, whose FFA students will be in charge of the petting zoo, was one of them.

 “I’m excited to get my students out to Kids Ag Day and have them working with the fourth graders but also getting to see the different aspects of agriculture provided during this fun day,” Linsner said.

As a fourth grader attending Linclon Elementary School, she attended one of the early Kids Ag Days hosted at Mauler Farms.

“Growing up on a farm already, I was familiar with quite a bit of the day’s activities, from going on the hay rack rides to looking at the combines and tractors,” she said. “I felt like Kids Ag Day was a day to open the eyes of our classmates that didn’t generally know what farmers did (or what) farm kids grew up doing.”

Linsner said she hopes her high school students will take the opportunity to learn about agricultural career opportunities.

“Our FFA students will also be providing the animals for Kids Ag Day. We will have a small variety of animals including rabbits, meat goats, calves, a horse, and a dairy goat,” she said. If time allows, her 10-year-old daughter will also provide demonstrations with the 4-H dairy goat she showed at the Barton County Fair this summer.

Donations to support this program are accepted through the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce.