Down on the Farm Day

September 13, 2022

Laura Haddon
Cherokee County 4-H Youth Development Agent

Ms. Ruppe’s 2nd grade class from Draytonville Elementary enjoyed their visit to Sarratt Farms for 4-H Down on the Farm Day.

Cherokee County 4-H hosted its first annual “Down on the Farm Day” event for all the second graders in the county.  Laura Haddon and Christopher LeMaster wrote a grant in the spring of 2021 and received $1,000 to cover the cost of transportation for the public schools within the district.  After meeting with school district staff, the date was set for Friday, April 1, 2022.

2nd graders had hands-on opportunities to learn where their meat and milk come from.

Ben Sease from SC Farm to School shared about mushrooms and earthworms.

Almost 600 second grade students (public, private, and charter) attended the event hosted at Sarratt Farms in Gaffney.  Children rotated with their classes through six stations where they learned about different areas of South Carolina agriculture.  Stations included strawberries, earthworms, sunflowers, pigs, cows, and a combine!  County extension agents from across the Upstate, teachers and students from the ag classes at Cherokee County’s Institute for Innovation, SC Ag in the Classroom, and SC Farm to School all helped to give the students hands-on knowledge about farming in our county and state.

Students from Cherokee County’s Institute for Innovation’s FFA helped the 2nd graders plant sunflower seeds.

The goal of this event was to connect youth to the source of their food and fiber and develop in each one an appreciation for South Carolina agriculture.  For many of the students, this was their first time ever seeing a cow, a pig, or even stepping foot on a farm! It was an adventure they will always remember.