Students Learn Connections Between Agriculture and the Food They Eat at Expo
AgriLife Extension, Kleberg-Kenedy County
KINGSVILLE (News Release) - Last Thursday on November 9, 2023, over 300 students from Sarita, Ricardo, and Santa Gertrudis Elementary Schools had a unique opportunity attending the 2023 Path to the Plate Youth Expo at the J.K. Northway Coliseum in Kingsville.
The Path to Plate Youth Expo is a 1-day event for youth to make connections between agriculture and the food they eat. The youths spent the day rotating between stations for 15-20 minutes with agriculture and health experts. The stations provide up-to-date facts and demonstrations so youth can make informed choices about the food they eat.
The goals of the event are to help youth:
Describe the relationships between plants, livestock, and health.
Outline the path food takes from farms to our plates.
Discuss the value of agriculture and how it impacts daily life.
Describe how farmers and ranchers produce the food we eat.
Identify nutritious foods and why they are important for our health.
Explain why we should eat a healthy diet and a variety of foods.
Southwest Mobile Dairy began with a presentation on dairy production followed by a milking demonstration. 10 Additional learning sessions included cotton, corn, sorghum, beef, poultry, pork, soil and water conservation, vegetables, fruits, and pollinators.
The stations at the day-long event vary by county and region. Examples of stations at past events include: beekeeping, beef, poultry, sheep, strawberries, grapefruit, and corn. These stations educate students about practices and technologies of agriculture and how they affect health, communities, and economies.
Presenters, partners, and sponsors included Kleberg & Kenedy County AgriLife Extension Service, Kleberg County, Southwest/Southland Dairy Farmers, Kleberg-Kenedy County Farm Bureau, Texas A&M University Kingsville College of Agriculture, Kleberg-Kenedy Soil and Water Conservation District #356, Reese Ranch, Tejas Nursery, S&W Swine Production, HEB Kingsville, Schubert Farms, Bippert Farms, and Youth Livestock & Health Ambassadors.
For more information, visit pathtotheplate.tamu.edu.