Local kids go on an AgVenture
LODI — Third-graders from across San Joaquin County spent their morning learning the inner working of tractors, how to milk cows, and petting animals such as horses, bunnies and goats at AgVenture Thursday morning.
The two-hour field trip was part of AgVenture, a day that featured more than 60 booths and displays sponsored by various businesses and organizations at the Lodi Grape Festival grounds, hosted by the San Joaquin County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.
The informational booths and displays featured everything from fruit and vegetables to livestock and farm machinery, and locally-produced products such as nuts and fruit.
Easton Lichty, an 8-year-old from Borchardt Elementary School, was vocal at the fruit and vegetable booth, identifying each item members of Manteca-Sierra Future Farmers of America pointed out.
He said his favorite vegetables were onions and asparagus, and that he knew a lot about vegetables. After spending the morning learning about the agricultural industry, he said he was interested in getting into the mechanical side of things.
“I want to build stuff,” he said. “My dad builds stuff with high speed rail, so I want to build stuff too. Maybe tractors.”
Woodbridge Elementary School students Abby Jones and Kayden Anderson both enjoyed the farm animals, especially because they were allowed to pet them. Anderson liked the small horse Lodi Jigh School’s Future Farmers of America brought to the event, while Jones liked the rabbits.
“We liked the animals because they had soft fur and they were really pretty,” Jones said. “Maybe I will be a vet, I don’t know, but I know I want to be doing something with animals.”
Anderson said she liked the horse because she has one, and it lets her ride on top of him.
“I have my own pet horse at my cousin’s,” she said. “She had two and gave one to me, and I get to ride it. I’d like to be a horse back rider.”
Classmate Andrew Hilbert found the information on mosquitoes to be interesting.
“We learned about how to identify an infestation, how to investigate it, and how to exterminate them,” he said.
About 10,000 students, teachers and chaperones attended Thursday’s AgVenture program, one of three hosted by the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office each year.
The program, according to the office, brings government, resource agencies and private organizations together to demonstrate why the sustainability of agricultural is vital to the community, and how each organization plays an important role.
The goal of the program is to help local youth better understand the importance of agriculture and potentially inspire future farmers.