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On Your Table Blog

August 6, 2024

Educating about ag

Educating about ag

by Lisa Hauf, NDFB Director of Public Relations

My career with NDFB has given me many things, but the best part has been my growing appreciation for North Dakota agriculture. Knowing its importance in North Dakota, I have become even more intrigued by the efforts of NDFB members to teach others about agriculture.

This is why I was excited to volunteer at the Red River Valley Fair’s Ag Education Center this past month. Cass County Farm Bureau sponsors the center, which allows families to learn about North Dakota’s agriculture through an interactive and educational experience.

My husband and I decided to volunteer together, and we were both amazed at the information and activities available to everyone who attended. Even my husband, who has been involved in agriculture since birth, learned a few things at the center.

Did you know sugar beet juice can be used to produce bioethanol? One metric ton of sugar beets produces 90 to 100 liters of alcohol.

During our time volunteering, we were able to get a few teenagers involved in a game of Jeopardy! It was a highlight to see their competitive nature come out as they learned about agriculture while sharing some laughs with friends.

The young children loved seeing the animals. Many were caught probing their parents, “Can we get some baby pigs? They are so cute.”

I also visited with some of the other volunteers who had been volunteering at the center since the first day of the fair. One of the ladies showed me a bunch of photos she had captured of the baby chicks on the first day and how much they had grown in just a couple of weeks. The volunteers had just as much fun learning about agriculture as the attendees.

Baby chicks at the Ag Center

My husband and I even enjoyed playing some trivia games found throughout the center. (He may have let me win one of the times.)

Did you know a 3 oz. cooked serving of lean beef provides ten essential nutrients and about half of the daily value for protein in about 170 calories? Beef provides many nutrients in a smaller serving size than many other choices. For example, you’d have to eat at least 8 oz. of cooked chicken breast to get the same amount of iron in just a 3 oz. serving of cooked beef. And when comparing zinc, you’d need to eat 20 oz. of cooked chicken breast.

Beef display at the Ag Education Center

The Ag Education Center truly has something for everyone. I left feeling proud of North Dakota agriculture, of Cass County Farm Bureau, and of all the work NDFB does to promote ag education!

This post first appeared on My NDFB Life.