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All God’s Creatures Great and Small

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – The Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Office hosted a “Science of Agriculture Field Day” for Houston County area third and fourth grade students on Wednesday, May 17.

Held at the Porth Ag Arena, students were able to ride horses, visit with several alpacas, learn about cotton products, see how animals are vaccinated, learn about plant growth cycles and a host of other agricultural activities.

County Extension Agents Jo Smith and Mandy Patrick, along with Kim and Chuck Spellman and the team at the Farm Bureau helped organize the event, now in its seventh year.

Smith described the event as a fun-filled day for the students and an effort “… to reach out to the lower levels, third and fourth grades. We want to teach them where their food and the animals come from and how agriculture touches their everyday lives.”

The highlight of the day for most of the students was the opportunity to ride the horses and for one 17-year-old young man from Grapeland it appeared to have been quite special.

The young man is mentally challenged and had never had the opportunity to ride a horse before. The smile and pure happiness shown on his face as the horse walked around the arena floor led Gene Stokes, the owner of the horse, to remark, “That is a $10,000 moment!”

While not everyone was able to have a $10,000 moment, all the students appeared to have enjoyed the day and had fun learning about the importance of agriculture.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

 

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