As each year passes, American consumers become further and further disconnected from where their food originates. With just 1% of Americans living on a farm in 2025, it is easy to see how this is the case, particularly when in 1900, almost 40% of the American population lived on farms. The 20th century saw dramatic changes in not only the industries that employed Americans, but also in where Americans lived. Rural United States when properly defined comprises 97% of the land area in the country, with just around 18% of the total population living in these areas. This is a steep decline from the 60% that lived in rural America in 1900, although not as steep as the decline in the percentage of Americans involved in agriculture.
Work is being done at national and local levels, including in Sangamon County, to combat this disconnect by teaching young children about agriculture and the food production system. The USDA spearheads an Agriculture in the Classroom grant program to support statewide and local efforts to create farm to food connections for students. Illinois Ag in the Classroom provides additional grants thanks to fundraising efforts by the IAA Foundation. The IAA Foundation, with the help of the Illinois Farm Bureau, supports programs in Sangamon County as well as the Agriculture Education Partnership between Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties.
In a recent conversation, Sangamon County Ag in the Classroom coordinator Candice McKown shed light on the program and how it aims to benefit the community. According to McKown, the goals are relatively simple, but incredibly important at the same time, with the overall objective of “trying to provide agricultural education to students and the public.” This is accomplished in a number of unique ways, including classroom engagement for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade, public outreach events at county fairs and the Illinois State Fair, and the AgVenture Barn Tour. The AgVenture Barn Tour is a barn on wheels that moves between schools for a week in both the spring and fall. The AgVenture Barn Tour is put on by the Sangamon County Farm Bureau and primarily helps students engage with animals. This is one of the hands-on, creative ways that McKown says Sangamon County Ag in the Classroom educates the younger generation about agriculture in our area, beyond the classroom.
Ag in the Classroom programming targets both rural and inner-city schools. In addition to the AgVenture Barn, the Sangamon County Farm Bureau’s program provides materials, teacher resources, and free classroom presentations on a first come, first served basis. The typical classroom presentation for K-5 students involves about 45 minutes in the classroom, with approximately 25 minutes being utilized for lecture or PowerPoint presentations and another 20 minutes devoted to learning activities. The talks and activities vary from month to month; the January 2025 focus was on dairy cattle. The presentation explained where dairy comes from, the different breeds of dairy cattle, how frequently and how they get milked, and other items regarding dairy production. At the end of each classroom engagement, students receive a letter to take home to spread the education beyond the classroom, a part of the broader goal to educate the entire public about where food comes from.
One unique facet of the Sangamon County Ag in the Classroom program is that, while it is part of the Sangamon County Farm Bureau organization, it is largely funded by donor support. Donations provide most of the supplies for the program, and donors receive a bi-monthly newsletter called “The Partnership,” which allows them to stay up to date on happenings in the program. Additionally, McKown spends part of each summer applying for grants from Illinois Ag in the Classroom as another form of support. Through commitment and coordination, organizations including the USDA, IAA Foundation, Illinois Farm Bureau, and county level farm bureaus have made great strides in promoting an understanding and appreciation for agriculture across the state of Illinois beginning in the early years of school. As farmers continue to make up a low percentage of the population, it is important for the public to recognize where their food is coming from and why it is being produced in the manner that it is.
For more information about how you can get involved with the Ag in the Classroom program and to see a video of the AgVenture Barn, follow the link below;