November 10, 2014
Last week Texas Wheat traveled to Corsicana to present at the annual Navarro County Food and Fiber Roundup. The one-day event held in the Navarro County Exposition Center invited elementary schools, primarily fourth graders, to learn about where their food and fiber comes from.
Six demonstration stations were set up around the exposition center and 763 fourth graders from across the county moved from station to station to learn about a specific part of the agriculture industry. Meredith DeBorde, Navarro County Agrilife 4-H agent, said the sole purpose of the roundup is to educate fourth graders, who are at an impressionable age, about where their food comes from in Navarro County and around the world.
Stations included a dairy cow milking demonstration, soil samples and information about cotton, corn and wheat. A swine and cattle station completed the round of education sessions. Katie Heinrich, director of communications and producer relations at Texas Wheat, taught the students about when and how wheat is grown, why there is different types of flour, and the small return farmers get from the sale of a common wheat product – a loaf of bread. Heinrich also showed non-food products made from wheat including school glue, hair conditioners and dog treats. Common food items, such as sphaghetti, cake and cookies were also presented. Heather Morris, daughter of Texas Wheat Producers Board member Gary Murhpy, helped organize and provide the wheat products for the presentation.
The students were served pizza for lunch and each station also showed where each ingredient in a pizza originates.
The roundup proved to be a successful event again this year and incorporates the rural setting of Corsicana with the young minds of students who may not have ever seen any type of agriculture production. The roundup also allows presenters to connect items the students use on a day-to-day basis with the agriculture products that are included in those items.
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