Farm Day teaches children importance of agriculture

Submitted photo

St. Francis Medical Center recognized volunteers

During the week of April 27, hospitals throughout the United States recognized the dedication and hard work of their volunteers. St. Francis Medical Center volunteers with more than 10,000 hours were front row, from left, Margie Williams, 10,000 hours; Lillian Young, 12,000 hours; Opal Perkins, 19,000 hours; Ruth Westrich, 15,000 hours; and Vernice Baumstark, 16,000 hours. Back row from left were Jeff Harms, 13,000 hours; Joe Francis, 17,000 hours; Dorothy Ressel, 17,000 hours; Tom Valle, 19,000 hours; and Earl Siemers, 19,000 hours.

At St. Francis Medical Center, over 450 faithful volunteers have donated 69,000 hours of their time in 2002 to service 60 different areas of the hospital. By Linda Dowd ~ Scott City Signal

At one of the exhibits at Farm Day, the children learned about plants that attract butterflies.

The children and Annabelle the Cow equally enjoyed a hands-on experience at Farm Day.

The Chamber of Commerce building in Benton, Mo., was alive with activity on April 29, as 130 third-grade students from several Scott County schools learned how agriculture affects their lives, thanks to the efforts of the Scott County Women in Agriculture.

For the second year the women's group sponsored a Farm Day for county school children. As the children learned all about farming, they took in the sights of farm animals like Annabelle the Cow and cute baby chicks. They saw multiple exhibits from corn to poultry. Also, there was a dairy cow on display that the children were able to watch being milked.

According to Lori Glastetter, president of the group, the Scott County Women in Agriculture are proud to help familiarize children with agricultural processes and products while teaching them what farming is all about. She said that it takes several months to plan the one-day event, but the look on the children's faces makes it all worth it.

"The kids see the fields all around and don't realize where those crops go when harvested. The food they eat, the clothes they wear, all come from products grown right in this area," Glastetter said.

Glastetter encourages anyone interested in joining the Scott County Women in Agriculture group to stop by the USDA office in Benton for information. It is not necessary for members to be involved in farming. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month at the USDA office in Benton.