I was reminded that not everyone knows what Food For America is, so here is the scoop.

Food For America is a program to educate young grade school students about what the farmers do for our food supplies. The students are bussed to an area, usually a school building, and are escorted to various rooms and/or areas set up by knowledgeable high school students or adults versed in the various aspects of farming, ranching, or production of our food industry. My part is explaining about pollination of foods for humans and animals by the use of bees and other pollinators. (Believe it or not - bats are a part of this group.)

We usually have about 10-15 minutes to explain our craft or vocation. Examples are:

Bees and certain insects or animals pollinate flowers to produce fruit or more plants for human and animal consumption. Bats pollinate certain cacti so the farmers or production plants can make jelly and marmalade from some of the flowers or body of the cactus. Bees pollinate, say alfalfa, so the cows can eat it to produce milk, and hamburgers. Bees also pollinate fruit of all kinds, vegetables, and make honey.

Milk can make cheese, butter, and buttermilk. The students have a hands on project to actually shake cream to make their own butter to take home.

Livestock, such as steers, goats, pigs, rabbits, birds, and fish, are explained as to how we can eat products and meat from them.

This is just one way we can get the information to the young ones who have never seen where their food comes from. My own brother and sisters did not know that milk came from cows. They thought the milk only came from the store and only in wax cartons.

There are several other means that is in use for the same reasons. Country Days, Farmer Days, Country Fairs, County Fairs, and State Fairs are some of these ways.

I personally have participated in three Food for America, two Country Days (going to my third in a week) and 4 State Fairs, and visited as a beekeeper speaker to about nine classrooms of Prekindergarten, kindergarten, Girl Scouts, campfire girls, and Cub Scouts. I also have been to several home school assembles.