A 32 faming, Sunday, 2,00$
AG ED RESOURCE
Long before I became secretary
of agriculture, I realized the
value of agricultural education.
As a farmer and public servant, I
recognize the quality teaching
that agricultural education offers
and have greatly benefited from
the lessons that I learned in class.
I know that there are many stu
dents who have benefited from ag
ed programs as well.
Yet, there are many people
children and adults alike that
lack even the most basic concepts
Beaver Farm-City Banquet Nov. 20
BEAVER (Beaver Co.) The
48th Annual Beaver County
Farm-City Banquet is scheduled
for Thursday, Nov. 20, at the Big
Knob Grange in New Sewickley
Township. This year’s banquet
will feature a meal produced en
tirely in Beaver County. Exhibits
by local agricultural organiza
tions will be open at 5:30 p.m.;
dinner will be served at 6 p.m.
The Farm City Banquet origi
nated in 1955 to provide a mean
ingful experience for urban and
rural residents to appreciate farm
and rural life in Beaver County.
of agriculture. I am constantly
amazed at how many people
cannot tell you where milk comes
from-other than from a plastic
container at the local grocery
store. As a leading economic en
terprise in the commonwealth, a
lack of knowledge about agricul
ture within the general public can
be extremely costly to an eco
nomic infrastructure that essen
tially revolves around the indus
try.
As secretary of agriculture, I
am committed to agricultural ed-
This year’s speaker will be
John Scott, Region IV Director,
Pennsylvania Department of Ag
riculture.
Tickets are $l4 for adults and
$7 for children ages 12 and
under. Seating is limited and
paid reservations are required.
For tickets, make checks payable
to “New Sewickley Kiwanis,”
and mail, postmarked by Nov.
13, to Penn State Cooperative
Extension, 1000 Third Street,
Suite 102, Beaver, PA 15009. Be
sure to include a self-addressed
stamped envelope to receive your
tickets.
ucation-and this includes educa
tion to both the ag and non-ag
public. When I put forth my Ag
ricultural Education Initiative in
July, I announced that we would
create a Web-based agricultural
education resource library. I am
pleased to say that that project
has been completed and is avail
able for use.
Last week, I joined Education
Secretary Vicki Philips at Dau
phin County Technical School to
launch Marketplace for the Mind
.com (www.marketplaceforthe
mind.com), a groundbreaking ag
ricultural education resource for
teachers, students, the agricultur
al community, and the public.
The Website, created through
a joint effort between the agricul
ture and education departments,
with the support and input of
many agricultural organizations
and advisory boards, streamlines
and consolidates the efforts of
many groups dedicated to educa
tion both in and about agricul
ture. It is part of a multi
faceted initiative being
advanced by the Depart
ment of Agriculture to pro
vide agricultural education
opportunities to both
school-aged children and
adults.
The information con
tained on the site is also
designed to help students
achieve proficiency to fulfill state
standards. The site’s educational
resource library contains curric
ulum materials aligned to state
academic standards for environ
ment and ecology and science
and technology.
Educators will also be able to
access grants for classroom sup
plies and equipment, as well as
opportunities appropriate for
field trips. The resource library
will also provide information for
students on school projects,
scholarships, higher education,
and careers.
The agricultural community
will benefit from details on low
interest loans, technical informa
tion, and industry programming.
Moreover, the general public will
benefit from up-to-date agricul
tural information, event listings,
and issues in agriculture.
The launching of this site
marks the beginning of a new ap
proach to education in and about
agriculture in the common-
wealth. This one site will provide
efficient and convenient access to
quality, agriculturally-focused
teaching materials and informa
tion that can be used informally
or to help students meet current
teaching standards.
This site is a great step in the
right direction to incorporating
agriculture in the classroom and
increasing understanding of agri
culture in the commonwealth. I
am extremely pleased that indi
viduals outside of agriculture will
be able to more easily take ad
vantage of agricultural education
lessons and become more aware
of the impact the industry has on
Pennsylvania’s economy.
I am confident that through
agricultural education we will be
able to continue the strong tradi
tion of agriculture in Pennsylva
nia and remain at the forefront of
American agriculture. I invite
you all to visit our new Website
located at: www.marketplacefor
themind.com.