On Friday, September 11th, Mrs. Olson’s Agri-Voyage class went on a field trip to Gayville, SD, to the “Field to Table” program by Valley Ag Supply to learn about the different careers, crops, machinery, and livestock you utilize when you farm! I interviewed Mrs. Olson, the LCE and Agri-Voyage teacher at Yankton Middle School, and Tara Olson, the owner of Valley Ag Supply in Gayville, SD.
A total of 800 students (4th and 8th graders) from 16 schools attended this year, and over 7,000 students have attended the 18 years of this event so far. The “Field to Table” program consists of various “stations” covering topics such as corn, soybeans, machinery, soil erosion, and livestock. The kids also got a swag bag to remember their day.
Valley Ag Supply has been running this program for about 18 years and will definitely do it again next year. Owner of Valley Ag Supply, Tara Olson says, “A farmer named Ray Hall started it in about 2000 and invited a couple local schools near the Vermillion area. My late husband, Greg and I were invited to help him and when he was getting a bit old he asked if we’d take the event on. With the help of my colleague, Cathy – a former teacher – she was able to give schools the educational standards being met with each station so teachers could convince their board/principal that this was not just a field trip but a true educational event.” She also said that it took 2 hours to set up with 18 people and a loader.
Mrs. Olson said the trip needed approval from Dr. Olson and the administration, that the busing needed to be paid for, and that Valley Ag Supply fulfilled that need.
If you aren’t interested in agriculture or being a farmer, it’s South Dakota’s #1 industry, and this field trip helped kids get exposed to things outside of the classroom. Kids must learn that there are many different aspects of farming and that it takes a lot of people to get food to your table!
