The Catskill Chronicle

Catskill Chronicle to take part as classrooms connect to agriculture and the food system with volunteer readers

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (March 15, 2012) – Since 2007, Agricultural Literacy Week, a program of New York Agriculture in the Classroom, has helped connect community members and elementary classrooms to the food system through a state-wide reading in celebration of agriculture. This year, over 50,000 students in 55 counties will be visited by local volunteers who will read the book Seed, Soil, Sun by Cris Peterson.

Ag Literacy Week takes place from Monday, March 19 through Friday, March 23, 2012. The Catskill Chronicle will take part in this year’s program as editor Carol Montana reads and discusses agriculture with a class from St. Peter’s School in Liberty.

Literacy volunteers also lead a discussion and hands-on activity to connect students to the people and processes that grow the food we eat. At the end of the day’s activities, the book is donated to the school library and teachers are given further educational resources. This program is made possible with the generous support of local donors, county coordinators, and literacy volunteers.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Sullivan County is pleased to announce that they will be coordinating the Ag. Literacy Week programs in Sullivan County this year.

With the generous support of the Sullivan County Farm Bureau and Apple Pond Farm, the programs will be available to students across the county at no cost to them. The Ag. Literacy Week programs are a great way for the youth in the county to get acquainted with local agriculture and get connected to Cornell University.

For more information about Agricultural Literacy Week, use this link: http://nyaged.org/aitc/programs/literacy.htm#Overview

New York Agriculture in the Classroom is a partnership of Cornell University, NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, NYS Education Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and New York Farm Bureau. Working with Cooperative Extension educators, classroom teachers, and volunteers throughout the state, New York Agriculture in the Classroom fosters an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of our food and fiber system.