“I live near cornfields but didn’t know anything about corn until today,” said Ayden. Ayden is one of the nearly 300 eighth grade students that participated in the Sycamore Middle School Farm Field Trip.
This year, students visited three local farms and agribusinesses on Sept. 22 and 24 – CHS Elburn’s Seed & Agronomy facility, John and Steve Ward’s pig farm, and Tracy Jones’ beef feedlot and grain farm.
The 8th graders also visited the Farm Bureau where they experienced more than 15 agriculture-themed learning stations. Students dissected soybeans, matched cattle anatomy, explored biodegradable products, designed floral boutonnieres, and much more.
Over two dozen Sycamore High School FFA members assisted with the event. Many of these volunteers attended the field trip when they were in middle school.
The 19th annual Sycamore 8th Grade Farm Field Trip was sponsored by DeKalb County Farm Bureau’s Ag Literacy program.
A special thanks to…
CHS Elburn, Brent Hueber, Tracy Jones, Michelle Kovac, Evan Quinn, Sycamore FFA, John & Steve Ward, and Terri White.
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- CHS employee Dave Myers explains the parts of a soybean plant as students take a closer look.
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- Students use a magnifying glass to closely examine a dissected soybean as Sycamore FFA member Cheyenne Judd assists.
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- Brent Hueber (back) with Compeer Financial shows students beef cattle diet ingredients.
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- Evan Quinn with FS Grain walks 8th graders through Tracy Jones’ grain setup.
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- Sycamore FFA member Max Griffey allows students to pet a piglet while educating them on the needs of growing pigs.
