Farm Day cultivates learning
Second-graders from area participate in annual event
Friday at the Porterville Fair was all about the youngsters as second-graders from around the community descended on the fairgrounds for Farm Day.
Approximately 1,500 students from Porterville Unified School District, Burton School District, St. Anne’s, Springville, Hot Springs and other small rural schools around Porterville show up for Farm Day each year — so many that they are divided into morning and afternoon rotations of equal size.
“They learn a little about everything: fruits, vegetables, animals basically whatever is here in Tulare County and all around us they’re learning about,” said Veronica Wickersham, PUSD assessment clerk who coordinates the annual event. “I love seeing the smiles on their faces and how they light up, and they learn so much from it, too.”
As students entered the fairgrounds and made their way to the Rotary Stage for the afternoon rotation, they were highfived by the teenage members of the Junior Fair Board, who were dressed as farmers, lumberjacks, beekeepers and even cows.
Those same teenagers would then kick off the day’s festivities with their stage presentation entitled “Dirt Made My Lunch.” The song-anddance routine explained the basic components of agriculture with the tune “Sun, Soil, Water and Air,” and students were soon singing and dancing along, urged by JFB President and PHS senior Mckenna Rogers to increase the volume and get excited.
Students learned interesting facts about all things agriculture as the players explained that California produces over 80 percent of the nation’s strawberries and that there are 466,000 dairy cows in Tulare County.
They also explained how foods like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, salads, and even ice cream all get their start from the soil beneath our feet.
For the JFB players, many of whom remember attending Farm Day as second-graders, participating in the event is a gratifying experience.
“It’s a great way to help, and seeing how much it impacts them gets us even more enthusiastic about it,” said Monache senior Daylen Smith, who played the role of Mr. Dirt in the production.
It also gives them an opportunity to learn more about themselves.
“Before becoming part of the Junior Fair Board I wouldn’t have gotten up on stage like this,” said PHS senior Mat Huston. “I’d say the experience really develops character I never had before and never even knew I had.”
After the presentation the second-graders were off to see the fairgrounds, with two high school guides accompanying each class and holding bright color-coded group signs. Groups worked their way through dozens of themed stations staged in and around the livestock pavilion, spending about 10 minutes at each station.
One of the first stations to greet students was Pizza Story, where students from Butterfield Charter High School explained the origins of pizza ingredients as the second-graders decorated a wooden pizza with toppings.
“Kids eat their food, but they don’t really know where it’s from,” said Butterfield sophomore Roger Carvajal. “We wanted to show them exactly where it comes from. It feels great to teach something to little kids.”
When the big yellow fire truck parked in the center of the fairgrounds honked its horn, it was time to move to the next station and learn about something new, and stations covered a variety of topics, including water safety, veterinary science, flowers, branding, raising chickens in the city, and oranges.
Students planted seeds, perfected their cow milking technique, pet rabbits and sheep, and even practiced CPR as the moved from one hands-on station to the next.
As Wickersham patrolled the stations taking in another successful Farm Day at the Porterville Fair, she was quick to give credit to the community members who make it possible every year.
“Everyone here is volunteers who have given up their time and their day. It’s so appreciated and I wish I could stress that more,” said Wickersham. “This is my favorite part of my job, and these people are like my fair family.”