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Precision agriculture tools in the tractor of Matt Tiffany who farms near Redwood Falls, MN.
This month we are focusing on the STEM – which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – involved in agriculture. There are countless STEM connections and careers in agriculture! Agricultural engineers designing equipment, farmers using precision agriculture technology, animal scientists developing nutritional plans for livestock to grow as efficiently as possible, and plant scientists working to develop disease resistant plants are just a few examples!
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K-2nd grade students explore the basic needs of animals and create a model of a modern pig barn that will help farmers meet the needs of the animals.
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3rd-5th grade students make connections between the six types of simple machines and the complex machinery used to produce food and fiber.
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6th-8th grade students identify basic animal behaviors and hypothesize what causes them. Students will also discover the responsibilities of an animal physiologist.
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Students of all ages discover how carrots travel from farm to table! Watch for the STEM connections as we follow carrots grown at Open Hands Farm in Northfield Minnesota all the way to Loring Elementary School in Minneapolis.
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2019 Summer Teacher Tours
We are excited to offer Summer Teacher Tours that allow educators to get a first-hand look into the world of agriculture by visiting farms, processing centers, research facilities and additional agricultural sites. Resources, hands-on activities and interactive ideas for integrating agriculture in your curriculum will be also be discussed and shared.
Feed, Seeds and STEM!
June 12, 2019, 8 AM-3:30 PM, Carver County
Tour stops: Dairy farm with automated feeders, Bongards Creamery, seed company and drone demonstration
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Redwood and Renville County Tour
June 27, 2019, 9 AM - 7:30 PM and June 28, 2019, 9 AM - 4 PM, Redwood and Renville County
Tour stops: Cattle farm, robotic dairy Farm, crop farm, strawberry farm, Grandview Valley Winery, Shrimp Shop
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STEM in Agriculture
July 11, 2019 8:30 AM -8 PM and July 12, 2019, 8:30 AM- 4 PM, Martin and Brown Counties
Tour stops: Avery Weigh-Tronix, Christensen Research Pig Farm, Morgan Creek Winery, Eversman Solar Farm, Patsche Farm technology demonstration
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Farmamerica Hands-on Learning with Hops & Hemp
July 30, 2019, 9 AM-4:30 PM, Farmamerica - Waseca area
Tour stops: Farmamerica, Half Pint Brewery, Midwest Hemp Farms greenhouse, hops field, hemp extraction site.
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We'd love to have you join us June 18-21, 2019 in Little Rock, Arkansas for the 2019 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference! Engaging keynote speakers, inspiring workshops, traveling tours, recognition of outstanding educators, and networking are all part of the fun! Find additional details on the Conference website.
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What is the virtual barn? Just like farmers keep their prized possessions (animals and crops for feed) in a barn, we're collecting very important information in our virtual barn - input from educators! After using a MAITC lesson or resource, visit our virtual barn to share your feedback. By providing feedback, not only are you entered to win one of our awesome Monthly Theme Kits (these feature a lesson and everything you'll need to do the lesson in your classroom) but you're also helping us improve and spread the word about agricultural literacy.
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Congratulations to our January Trivia winner Tracy Young! Tracy, along with many others, knew that Thom Petersen is our newly appointed Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner.
March Trivia Question: According to 2018 census information, how many farms in Minnesota use robots to milk their cows?
Send your answer to sue.knott@state.mn.us. All correct responders within the first 24 hours after the newsletter is sent, will be entered in a drawing to win a MAITC reusable bag!
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