More than 900 third-grade students from around the county attended the annual San Benito County Farm Day at Bolado Park, from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday. The event is sponsored each year by the San Benito County Ag in the Classroom program through the Farm Bureau with help from more than 150 volunteers and presenters.
The goal of the event is to show students in age-appropriate ways how important agriculture is in the local community and also to show kids the nutritional benefits of produce.
The program is provided free of charge to students, with sponsors and community grants covering the cost of student transportation, healthy snacks and classroom curriculum teachers can use before or after the event.
Many volunteers showed students about different facets of agriculture in the community, from raising livestock to growing row crops to packaging products to sell in grocery stores. Some of the volunteers included Mari Rossi, of B&R Farms, who showed how her family’s business prepares apricots into gourmet goods, and employees from Johnson’s Farrier Co. who demonstrated horse care and blacksmith equipment for the students.
