Students named state finalists in the Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom essay contest
MADISON – Eighteen young writers were named state finalists in the Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom Essay Contest. Wisconsin fourth and fifth graders were asked to author an essay with the theme ‘Wisconsin Agriculture is Fruit-full!’ as part of the annual essay contest that focuses on food and agriculture. The contest is open to all fourth- and fifth-grade students across the state, with each grade level judged as its own division.
Over 1,400 students authored essays for the competition, which is sponsored by Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation, Fork Farms and WE Energies. County winners in both fourth- and fifth-grade moved on to their respective district levels, and these district winning essays are now vying for the title of state winner. The state winner will be announced in early June and awarded at the Wisconsin DATCP Board July Meeting to be held in Milwaukee on July 12, 2024.
The 18 district winners received a prize package including a medal, certificate and Culver’s gift card. In District 9,this year’s state essay contests finalists are:
• Fourth-Grade: “Wisconsin Cherries” by Eliana Webb, Oaklawn Elementary, Menomonie School District.
• Fifth Grade: “Cranberry History in Wisconsin” by Clyde Score, Tiffany Creek Elementary, Boyceville.
As part of this year’s contest, schools of participating writers were entered for a chance to win a Flex Farm Hydroponic System as part of a giveaway to promote the contest. The Flex Farm is courtesy of Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation and Fork Farms. The lucky winner is Prairie Ridge Intermediate School, Reedsburg. The hydroponic system will allow the school to continue offering hands-on agricultural learning opportunities for students and offer the potential to grow Wisconsin’s sweetest agricultural product – fruit.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Ag in the Classroom program is designed to help K-12 students understand the importance of agriculture. The program is coordinated by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with funding from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation, other agricultural groups and a grant from the DATCP. Learn more at wisagclassroom.org