MIDDLEBURG – The Clay County Farm Bureau will fund 10 mini-grants for Clay County teachers who wish to integrate agriculture education into their classroom curricula. These grants are designed to assist teachers with purchasing materials that will integrate agriculture education into their curricula.

The goal is for students to learn about the agriculture industry and how it is an integral part of their lives because it provides them with food, fiber and shelter. It is also essential for children to understand where their food and fiber comes from. Food security is an important issue in our country, and with the continued loss of farmland, it is important that we educate our young people on how to support and advocate for the agriculture industry in our local communities and across the United States.

 Some examples of past grants awarded are for curricula such as school gardens, class sets of agriculture books used for book reports, equipment to measure plant growth and record findings, and projects that include vegetable and fruit tasting. There are many ways to integrate agriculture into reading, math, science and history.

Clay County Farm Bureau encourages educators to be creative when planning their students' programs. Teachers may obtain a grant application by contacting the local Clay County Farm Bureau office at (904) 282-0644 or emailing terri.davis@ffbf.org.