Tuesday, Jun. 09, 2009

Down on the farm: Teacher to bring agriculture to classroom

The new St. Clair County Agriculture in the Classroom coordinator, Christina Frierdich, couldn't be happier with her job.

"It was exactly what I wanted to do," she said about working for the University of Illinois Extension going to schools and talking to students about agriculture. "I'm getting paid to learn."

And to pass that learning on to kids who might not know that agriculture isn't just distant guys on tractors in the middle of fields.

Frierdich, 25, said she comes to class equipped with five lessons, each about some aspect of agriculture and how it ties in with real life.

She also has lots of other ideas that are available for teachers as lesson plans and demonstrations that integrate agriculture with other classroom learning.

Frierdich said she grew up near Millstadt, surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans. She graduated from Belleville West High School and Murray State University in Kentucky.

She majored in agricultural communications with a minor in equine science. Her passion for horses started when she was young and continues today.

She said she is lucky to have started work this spring and thus was able to shadow another coordinator.

"I really learned a lot," she said. "I definitely have my work cut out for me. I hope to be able to visit all the schools in the county. I know I'll be in some classrooms several times next year."

Frierdich said it is important that children understand that agriculture isn't something separate from their lives.

"They are the future voters and policy makers," she said. "I have to get the message across that ag isn't something remote, that it affects their daily lives."

She also will spend time making plans to raise money for the program.

On Wednesday she has her first summer workshop with teachers, concentrating on horses and horseradish.

She can hardly wait.