COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On Friday, May 13, hundreds of Columbus-area elementary school students will flood the campus of Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences for the Micki Zartman Scarlet and Gray Ag Day.
The 611 elementary students will visit 18 hands-on educational sessions geared toward exposing them to the diverse agricultural industry. The event takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
These sessions include understanding the role of “plant doctors,” a wool demonstration, mozzarella cheese-making, bioproducts, the science of chocolate and many more. Ohio State University faculty, staff and students as well as local commodity group leaders present the sessions. This year's theme, "Agriculture = Food x Fuel x Fiber," emphasizes the vast and unique facets of agriculture.
This year, students will attend from the following central Ohio schools: Barrington Elementary (Upper Arlington), Court Street Intermediate School (Circleville City), Huy Elementary (Columbus Public), Walnut Elementary (Teays Valley), West Broad Elementary (Columbus Public), Westview Elementary (Worthington Christian), Winchester Trail Elementary (Canal Winchester) and Wickliffe Progressive Community School (Upper Arlington).
Dignitaries scheduled to attend this year include Jim Zehringer, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture; State Rep. David Hall, chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee; State Rep. Michael Stinziano; State Rep. W. Carlton Weddington; and State Rep. Tracy Heard. In addition, Bobby Moser, Ohio State’s vice president for agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, and Brutus Buckeye plan to attend.
The annual event is planned by a committee of approximately 30 Ohio State students, and more than 200 other students will be involved on the day of the event as student guides, session leaders and dignitary guides. Most of the day's activities will take place in the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center at 2201 Fred Taylor Drive and the Ag Quad near Plumb Hall at Woody Hayes Drive and Coffey Road.
For more information, follow Scarlet and Gray Ag Day on Facebook and @OSUAgDay on Twitter.
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