Stark County Ag In the Classroom

10/08/2026

MOO-ve over, ordinary classroom lessons… something udderly exciting is happening in Ms. Ford’s 3rd grade! ❤️

Stark County Ag in the Classroom is excited to kick off a brand-new program: Adopt a Beef Cow!

Thanks to the generosity of Jay & Emily Iliff, Ms. Ford’s 3rd grade class will have the incredible opportunity to follow along with their beef cows throughout the entire year! The Iliff cattle are fall calving, which means these students are in for a front-row seat to the exciting world of beef production—from cows to calves and everything in between!

But before we could get started, we needed a little Beef Cows 101! Yesterday, we got the students prepped and ready to become some pretty knowledgeable little cattle producers. And boy, did we have a couple of experts in the classroom! We also caught the Illinois Beef Association video featuring Stark County locals, Jeff and Lucas with Cardinal Cattle Company !

A big "Moo-cho" thank you to Caroline & Noah, who were super duper informative about beef cattle and helped teach their classmates all about the beef industry! These kids definitely know their stuff! 👏

We are so thankful to Jay Iliff & Emily Iliff for opening the gate to their farm and sharing their cattle with these students, to Ms. Ford for encouraging agriculture education as part of her curriculum, and to Ms. Rita (FMC) for volunteering her time and helping make this experience possible! ❤️

We can’t wait to watch this class grow, learn, and follow their adopted herd all year long!

It’s going to be a moo-velous year of learning!📚❤️

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Stark County Farm Bureau
Stark County Elementary School
Stark County CUSD 100
Illinois Beef Association
FMC Ag US
FMC Corporation

10/06/2026

🎥🌾 WELL… MISS KAREN TOOK A SHOT OF AG! 🌾🎥

Miss Karen recently stepped ON SET with Rob Sharkey for A Shot of Ag—and let’s just say… things got a little rowdy in the cornfield! 🌽We talked ALL THINGS AG IN THE CLASSROOM……and there was a LOT to talk about!

🌱 33 classrooms.
🏫 3 different school districts.
👩‍🌾 Countless hands-on, in-person Ag lessons.
🍎 And enough agriculture to keep Miss Karen busy from sunup to sundown! From our Junior High and High School students trying out brand-new Ag ventures to the younger students getting their hands dirty learning where their food comes from, Stark County Ag in the Classroom is bringing agriculture OFF THE FARM AND INTO THE CLASSROOM!

And Miss Karen hasn’t exactly been sitting around waiting for the crops to grow… 😉

🎡 She taught Ag lessons at the Stark County Fair this summer.

🍎 She kicked off the school year talking APPLES and the farmers who grow them, because there’s a whole lot more behind that apple than just a trip to the grocery store!

🐷 Now we're heading into October with PORK, because when it comes to Ag in the Classroom, we’re not afraid to bring home the bacon! 🥓

🐄 And we're introducing something brand new: ADOPT-A-BEEF-COW! One classroom will get to follow a local beef producer through a fall calving season and learn what it really takes to raise beef….from pasture to plate. Talk about a hands-on lesson!

🥤 And then there are our BIG KIDS, who are getting their own taste of agriculture with… DIRTY SODAS! Yep. DIRTY. SODAS. But before you think we've completely lost our fizz, there’s an Ag lesson behind it! Students will trace the ingredients in their favorite soda creations all the way back to agriculture and the farmers who produce them. 🌾➡️🥤

Miss Karen and Rob covered a LOT during their time together and, in true Rob Sharkey fashion, there were plenty of laughs, good stories, and probably a few moments where the conversation went completely off the rails. 😂🤠

Because let's be honest…

When you put Miss Karen, Rob Sharkey, and agriculture in the same room, you're bound to harvest a few laughs! 🌾🤣

It’s safe to say Miss Karen didn’t just take a “Shot of Ag”… she brought the whole darn farm with her! 🚜🌽🐷🐄🍎

We’re proud of what’s growing in Stark County—and we’re just getting started!

33 classrooms. 3 school districts. Thousands of hands-on moments. One big goal: growing the next generation of agriculture advocates. ❤️🌾

Thank you to Rob Sharkey and the A Shot of Ag crew for letting Miss Karen climb aboard and talk a little Ag in the Classroom!

Illinois Farm Bureau
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Stark County Farm Bureau
Stark County CUSD 100
Stark County Elementary School
Bradford CUSD #1
Illinois Pork Producers Association
Illinois Beef Association
FMC Ag US
FMC Corporation

10/02/2026

Today was about more than just lunch — it was about saying THANK YOU to the farmers who work tirelessly to feed our families and communities. 🌾❤️

Stark County Farm Bureau hosted a Feed the Farmers Lunch, and our Ag in the Classroom kids helped make it extra special by writing handwritten thank-you notes to the farmers. 📝👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

Those little notes carry BIG hearts — reminders that the work farmers do matters, that their dedication is appreciated, and that the next generation is learning to value the people behind the food on their tables.

We’re so proud to bring agriculture education full circle — teaching kids about agriculture today while helping them say thank you to the farmers who make it all possible. 🌱🚜

From our Farm Bureau family and our Ag in the Classroom kids: Thank you, farmers, for feeding our families, growing our communities, and carrying on a legacy that matters. 💚🌾

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Stark County CUSD 100
Stark County Elementary School
Illinois Farm Bureau

09/29/2026

Fall is in full bloom! 🎃🌻

Join us for a floral arranging class where pumpkins meet petals and creativity blossoms. It’s going to be gourd-geous! 🍁💐

Follow the link below to get signed up! ⬇️

Join us for a fun evening of fall floral arranging!
Create your own beautiful fall arrangement in a pumpkin vase, with flowers that will vary. 🍂🎃💐

📅 October 15th at 6:00PM
📍 Stark County Jr. Fair Building
💲 $35 for SCFB Members | $40 for Non-Members

The workshop will be taught by Nanette Walker of Windy Hill Farm Est. 1852 and Blooms by Heartfelt.

Hosted by the Stark County Farm Bureau & Stark County Ag In the Classroom .

👉 RSVP to the SCFB office or follow the registration link by October 9th!
https://forms.gle/KT77agGwSqT7KgKPA

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out on this festive fall evening! Reserve your spot by October 9th!

09/25/2026

Stark County Ag in the Classroom is going ALL THINGS APPLES with our 1st and 2nd graders! 🍎🌱

We’re learning all about the life cycle of an apple—from a tiny seed 🌱 to a beautiful blossom 🌸, all the way to the delicious apple we know and love! 🍎 Along the way, we’re discovering how apples grow, what they need to thrive, and how farmers help bring them from the orchard to our tables.

Our students are having a core-some time learning about agriculture, and we think this lesson is pretty "a-peel-ing"! 😉

Who knew learning about apples could be so much "fun"-damental? 🍎😂

A big THANK YOU to our amazing 1st and 2nd grade students for being so curious and asking such "grate" questions! ❤️

🍎🌱 Stark County Ag in the Classroom: Growing minds, one lesson at a time! 🌱🍎

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Stark County Farm Bureau
Stark County Elementary School
Stark County CUSD 100

09/16/2026

I had so much fun visiting the preschool classes and introducing our youngest learners to all things fall, harvest, and vegetables! 🍎🎃🥦

We talked about what happens during harvest, explored some of the wonderful vegetables that grow on our farms, and learned about the many changes we see during this beautiful fall season. 🌾🍂

Of course, we had to add a good book to our learning! We read Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies and followed along with Mo, a friendly zombie who loves vegetables instead of the traditional “brain” food. 🧟‍♂️🥕 Mo definitely helped us learn that vegetables can be pretty exciting and maybe even zombie approved!

The preschoolers were wonderful listeners and enthusiastic learners. I loved seeing their curiosity, hearing their answers, and watching them make connections between the food they eat and where it comes from.

Thank you to the teachers and students for welcoming me into your classrooms! I always enjoy sharing a little bit of agriculture with our youngest learners. ❤️🌱

And yes… the “brain food” pun was totally intended! 🧠😂

Stark County Ag in the Classroom: planting seeds of knowledge, one classroom at a time! 🌱

Stark County Farm Bureau
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Stark County CUSD 100
Stark County Elementary School

09/15/2026

Oh my gourd, you need to join us! 🎃🌸
Mark your calendars now!

Join us for a fun evening of fall floral arranging!
Create your own beautiful fall arrangement in a pumpkin vase, with flowers that will vary. 🍂🎃💐

📅 October 15th at 6:00PM
📍 Stark County Jr. Fair Building
💲 $35 for SCFB Members | $40 for Non-Members

The workshop will be taught by Nanette Walker of Windy Hill Farm Est. 1852 and Blooms by Heartfelt.

Hosted by the Stark County Farm Bureau & Stark County Ag In the Classroom .

👉 RSVP to the SCFB office or follow the registration link by October 9th!
https://forms.gle/KT77agGwSqT7KgKPA

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out on this festive fall evening! Reserve your spot by October 9th!

09/08/2026

🍎📚 The first day of school was "apple"solutely amazing for Miss Karen and the Stark County Ag in the Classroom program!

We kicked off another exciting year by visiting Stark County Elementary, where we learned all about the life cycle of an apple, from a tiny seed to a beautiful, fruit-filled tree!

A big "apple"plause to Tanners Orchard and Christ Orchard for helping us connect our lesson to the amazing apple growers right here in Illinois! We loved learning about the hard work and agriculture behind one of our favorite fall treats.

We also traveled back in time with the book Apples to Oregon, following a young girl and her family as they transported precious apple trees along the Oregon Trail during the pioneer days. What an adventure—and imagine trying to keep those apple trees alive on that journey! 🍎

We are so excited to be back in the classroom, planting seeds of agricultural knowledge and watching young minds grow! 🌱💚

Here’s to a year full of learning, laughter, and plenty of apeeling Ag in the Classroom adventures! 🍎📚🚜

And a special thanks to Miss Rita with FMC Ag US
for all her volunteer work today!

Stark County Farm Bureau
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Stark County CUSD 100
Stark County Elementary School
FMC Corporation

08/18/2026

Back to school season is officially in session! 📚🌾

Stark County Farm Bureau and Ag in the Classroom had a great time at Back to School Night, getting ready to plant a few seeds of agricultural education in the hearts and minds of our students! 🌱👩‍🌾👨‍🌾

We’re excited for another year of growing knowledge, cultivating curiosity, and showing students where their food—and a whole lot of hard work—comes from! 🚜🍎

Here’s to a crop of new adventures this school year! 🌽📓

Stark County CUSD 100
Stark County Elementary School
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom

07/30/2026

🌽The fair was udderly packed with AG-cellent learning! 🐖🐄

Many kiddos stopped by the Stark County Ag in the Classroom display at the fair for awesome agriculture lessons every day! We talked all things pork, beef, dairy, sheep, poultry, and goats—because there’s always plenty of moo-ving, baa-rilliant, cluck-tastic, and totally un-baa-lievable things to learn about agriculture!

And if you missed the boat—or should we say, the goat!🐐🐑

Come see us next year and get your “fair” share of agriculture fun! 🚜

Stark County Junior Fair
Stark County Farm Bureau
Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Illinois Beef Association
Illinois Pork Producers Association