Fairfield High School’s FFA chapter hosted its second annual Ag Day on Wednesday, May 6th, bringing hundreds of elementary-aged students to the high school campus for a hands-on look at agriculture through ten interactive stations spanning from the school’s greenhouse through the parking lot and onto the grass west of the building.
Students from Washington and Pence elementaries were bused in throughout the day — kindergartners and first graders from Washington arriving in the morning and Pence students coming over after lunch — with homeschool families also welcome in between. The event gave young students the chance to interact with farm animals, climb inside tractors, plant seeds in the greenhouse, make ice cream in a bag, and visit a farm-to-table cheeseburger station that walked them through where every ingredient on their plate comes from.
Four outside organizations brought trailers this year — a new addition from the inaugural event — including Iowa Corn, Farm Bureau, Pioneer, and NRCS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Libertyville Savings Bank also grilled hamburgers on site for FFA students and participants. Eleven FFA students drove tractors or lawnmowers to school for the occasion, including a Cat Challenger on tracks and a John Deere 7800.
FFA Advisor Elly Stremsterfer said the event grew meaningfully from its first year. “This year we added four different trailers. We had companies contact us wanting to be a part of our day,” she said, noting the kids responded enthusiastically to the new stations. She also shared a memorable moment that will influence planning for next year. “I had a student — a high school student — not realize that the sheep were actually sheep. They thought they were llamas,” she said with a laugh. “So I would like to have llamas next year and maybe a couple of other different species so that kids can have an in-person example for that.”
Stremsterfer said the motivation behind the event goes deeper than a single day of fun. “Agriculture is not far removed from where they’re at,” she said. “Even if they live in town, they are very much a part of it — whether they eat or they wear clothes, they have a role in agriculture.” She said the event is also an opportunity for older FFA students to step into the role of teacher. “I wanted a way to get the kids involved here so that our older kids could teach the younger kids about agriculture — whether it’s through our sheep, what tractors do, where their food comes from. I feel like kids today don’t have the opportunities to get outside and get that type of experience like they used to 10 to 15 years ago.”
She also framed the event in the context of a larger challenge facing agriculture. At a recent state FFA convention, she said, the president of the Iowa Farm Bureau noted that as the population stabilizes over the next 20 to 50 years, the agricultural sector will need to produce not necessarily more, but a different type of product. “We are growing these leaders now and making sure they’re going to be able to meet that demand whenever they are older,” Stremsterfer said. She expressed particular gratitude to principal Mallory Mahon and superintendent Zach Wigle for supporting the program and allowing students to use a school day for the event.
The day also served as a showcase for some of the program’s top achievers. Three Fairfield FFA seniors and juniors — Brock Atwood, Jackson Hollander, and Benji Hunter — recently received the Iowa FFA State Degree, the highest degree available in the state. Only about one percent of FFA members statewide receive the honor. Natalie Steele and Emily Short also earned their state degrees — Steele through a beef placement SAE on her family’s cow-calf operation in Lockridge, where she is the seventh generation on the farm, and Short through two years in agricultural classes and her own SAE. Atwood also recently received the Beverly Rubey Scholarship from the Jefferson County Farm Bureau, an award for students pursuing careers in agriculture.
Fairfield FFA co-presidents Natalie Steele and Emily Short helped manage the event alongside fellow officers. Piper Miller, who will serve as parliamentarian for the 2026-2027 school year, noted she was the only girl to drive a tractor in for the day — a point of pride she was happy to share. Taylor Miller staffed the cheeseburger station, walking students through where each ingredient on their burger comes from — the pickle from a cucumber, the cheese from a dairy cow, the beef from a beef cow, and so on. Other students brought a turkey, some rabbits, Emma Cass her goats, and Peyton Freeman her pony, all giving the youngest visitors a chance to meet farm animals face to face.
Blain Smith of Libertyville Savings Bank, who helped grill for the event, said the experience was exactly what the community needs. “Everybody loves a good burger. We’ve got the grill, we’re mobile, and we just love to get out here. It’s a beautiful day — love to feed these kids and see a smile on their face eating some good Iowa beef,” Smith said.
Every student at Fairfield High School who takes an agricultural class is automatically enrolled in FFA. Stremsterfer said the program currently has 70 active members. As Hollander put it simply when asked why people should support agriculture: “Farms feed the world. They feed everybody, and you really need those.”
Ottumwa Radio was present at the event with a live remote, and also with video coverage on the Ottumwa Radio YouTube channel.
