Crops-Related Programming for Youth
As a large number of farmers approach retirement, it will be essential to replace those farmers with young, bright, and forward-thinking people. The best way to achieve this is by educating youth with the attractive features and future possibilities for agricultural producers. Parents, teachers and other adults should be encouraging youth to remain in the agricultural careers. Youth should be exposed to agricultural sciences at an early age to develop a knowledge base to build on topics such as crop production.
Several programs were developed by Nebraska Extension in collaboration with commodity organizations and businesses. The Innovative Youth Corn Challenge provides youth the opportunity to learn about crop production by testing corn production practices or products to increase corn yields. The Youth Crop Scouting Competition provides students an opportunity to learn crop scouting and principles of integrated pest management (IPM) for corn and soybeans in Nebraska.
Agricultural Literacy for Youth
Includes Ag Literacy with 360 VR Trips
ROOTED in Agriculture (Respecting Our Origins in Technology through EDucation in Agriculture) engages 9th-12th graders to explore agri-science through a historical lens to see the development of technology in agriculture while making connections to local cultural practices. The technology-focused learning experiences provide youth with understanding of agriculture and technology within the larger context of food systems and local agriculture. The project is a joint collaboration with the University of Hawaii, the University of Alaska, and the University of Nebraska.
For youth resources related to crops, check out the CropWatch-Youth page.
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