MCC to host Farm Science Lab, Ag Night.

MCC to host Farm Science Lab, Ag Night.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central Schools in partnership with Mason County Press.

SCOTTVILLE — Mason County Central Schools, along with the Mason County Farm Bureau, will celebrate farming during an Ag Night on Wednesday, May 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. near the Upper Elementary. The evening will be part of a weeklong event taking place at MCC’s elementary schools when the Michigan Farm Bureau’s Farm Science Lab visits the school. 

The Ag Night is free and open to all children, regardless if they attend MCC or not. 

The Farm Science Lab is a 40-foot mobile classroom, equipped with the latest teaching technologies and tooled with STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and math) lessons that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALO) to increase agricultural awareness. 

The lab is program of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom, a program sponsored by Michigan Foundation for Agriculture that works to increase agricultural literacy. The lab will be at MCC May 10 through May 13 and will provide 30-minute lessons inside the lab for every kindergarten through fifth grade student during the school day. The local visit is sponsored by MCC and Mason County Farm Bureau. 

“We are very excited to have the Farm Science Lab come to MCC,” said Angela Taylor, MCC director of state and federal programs. “The farm science lab was originally scheduled to come to MCC in the fall of 2020, but the pandemic forced us to postpone that visit. This lab is a state-of-the-art and a great way to show children the many diverse careers there are in agriculture. It’s very fitting to be in the Scottville community.” 

The Farm Science Lab reinforces grade-level standards with hands-on science opportunities while increasing students’ knowledge of how agriculture impacts their daily lives. Each lesson has been individually crafted and tested by certified teachers.

The Farm Science Lab offers schools the convenience of bringing a field trip- style experience to their front door. Students will receive an out-of-classroom, hands-on experience without the hassle of transportation arrangements or field- trip permission slips.

The Ag Night program on Wednesday, May 11, will be an opportunity for parents to visit the lab and also for children to see real farm equipment. The event will include multiple equipment displays, several treats, farm animals, games and booths related to farming. Some of the farms assisting include Thurow Farms, Springdale Farms, Stakenas Farms, Larsen Farms, Alway’s Shady Lane Farm, Peterson Farms, Courtiers Farms and Schade Farms. 

“This event will be a great showcase for our farming community and a fun experience for local children to experience farming,” Taylor said. “MCC and the agriculture community are very close. Over the past two years we have been working with Mason County Farm Bureau and Michigan Farm Bureau offering the Farm to Crate books, which teach elementary students about agriculture. The Farm Science Lab will be an added bonus for the kids.” 

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