The Jefferson County Farm Bureau has wrapped up another successful year of its Ag in the Classroom program, completing 71 classroom visits across multiple Jefferson County schools during the 2025-2026 school year, according to a press release from the organization.
The program, designed to help students understand the role agriculture plays in their everyday lives, visited classrooms at Pekin Elementary School, Washington Elementary School, and Pence Elementary School. At Pekin Elementary, monthly lessons were presented in two kindergarten, two first-grade, two second-grade, two fourth-grade, and two fifth-grade classrooms. One first-grade classroom at Washington Elementary and one second-grade, two third-grade, and two fourth-grade classrooms at Pence Elementary also participated.
Students explored a variety of agricultural topics throughout the year, including cranberries, sheep, pigs, beef cattle, corn, Christmas trees, germination, chickens, and dairy cows. Each classroom visit featured a lesson tailored to the students’ age and interests along with an interactive activity reinforcing the monthly topic. In addition to the 71 classroom visits, two library programs and one Ag Day event were also conducted. From July 2025 through May 2026, the program generated approximately 2,185 student impressions and 194 adult impressions.
Outreach Coordinator Hailey Shultz led the monthly Ag in the Classroom visits. In addition, Jefferson County Farm Bureau partnered with the Jefferson County Extension Office to deliver grade-specific lessons to students in both the Pekin and Fairfield school districts throughout the year. Through that partnership, 52 additional classroom visits were conducted, reaching a total of 1,078 student impressions. The collaborative lessons included:
- In September, two fifth-grade classrooms learned about pollinators.
- In October, five second-grade classrooms participated in lessons about pigs.
- In November, four fourth-grade classrooms explored the importance of corn.
- In January and February, four third-grade classrooms learned about beef cows.
- In March and April, five kindergarten and five first-grade classrooms participated in lessons about chickens.
“The commitment to agricultural education has made a significant impact on local students, fostering greater awareness and appreciation for the agricultural industry,” the Jefferson County Farm Bureau said. The organization thanked the schools, educators, volunteers, and community partners who contributed to the program’s success and said it looks forward to continuing the initiative in the years ahead. Those interested in learning more or getting involved can contact Jefferson County Farm Bureau at jefferson.county@ifbf.org.
