Luke Covington, 5, of London plays on a John Deere field sprayer at Breakfast on the Farm, held June 8 at Becks Hybrids in London. The Franklin and Madison County Farm Bureaus sponsored the event.
(Posted June 10, 2019)
By Theresa Hennis, Staff Writer
When we sit down to eat, it doesn’t always occur to us the amount of work it takes to get that food from the farm to our table.
On June 8, Franklin and Madison County Farm Bureaus presented the 8th Annual Breakfast on the Farm at Becks Hybrids in London to educate the public about farming and agriculture.
Approximately 1,750 people registered for the free event hosted by Becks, Red Brick Tavern and Ag Pro.
Guests enjoyed a free breakfast of made-to-order omelets, sausage, biscuits and beverages, as well as guided field tours, educational vendors, craft activities, the latest in farm equipment, and interaction with farm animals.
John Linse of Hilliard and his daughter, Katie, 8, have attended the event each of the last five years.
“Exposure to the farm life is an important learning experience for children. I grew up on my grandparents’ farm,” John said.
Farming has gone through many changes over the years, from how crops are planted to the high-tech equipment used to plant them.
Larry Sims of Kingston enjoyed seeing the latest in farm tractors.
“Some of these tractors cost half a million dollars. They aren’t like the tractors I farmed with all my life in Ross County,” he said.
Kayle Mast, a Madison County Farm Bureau volunteer and London resident, represented the Wilmington College Agronomy Club at the Edible Layers of Soil booth where she taught children about the importance of healthy soil for planting. The children layered dark and light cereals in clear cups to represent soil profiles, and they got to eat their finished creations.
“We feel it’s important to give back to our youth by teaching and advocating about agriculture,” Mast said.
While agriculture was the big topic of the day, the impact that family gardening has on the future of healthy eating also was emphasized. Lisa Hobson of Columbus manned the Highland Youth Garden booth, where children made newspaper planters to take home with seed packets to grow their own plants.
“We educate children and their families about growing good, healthy food,” Hobson said.
