Ag In The Classroom

Meet fearless Frieda Caplan—the produce pioneer who changed the way Americans eat by introducing exciting new fruits and vegetables, from baby carrots to blood oranges to kiwis—in this brightly illustrated nonfiction picture book! In 1956, Frieda Caplan started working at the Seventh Street Produce Market in Los Angeles. Instead of competing with the men in the business with their apples, potatoes, and tomatoes, Frieda thought, why not try something new? Staring with mushrooms, Frieda began introducing fresh and unusual foods to her customers—snap peas, seedless watermelon, mangos, and more! This groundbreaking woman brought a whole world of delicious foods to the United States, forever changing the way we eat. Frieda Caplan was always willing to try something new—are you?

Young Phineas Quinn is suspicious of the vegetable soup his mom serves for lunch. Phin declares he won't slup a single spoonful until he knows where his soup comes from! Much to Phin's surprise, a man in a flying tomato balloon shows up to answer this stirring question!

A delicious celebration of food and farming sure to inspire readers of all ages to learn more about where their food comes from - right this very minute! Here are the stories of what farmers really do to bring food to the table.

A NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book Famous car-maker and businessman Henry Ford loved beans. And he showed great innovation with his determination to build his most inventive car--one completely made of soybeans. With a mind for ingenuity, Henry Ford looked to improve life for others. After the Great Depression struck, Ford especially wanted to support ailing farmers. For two years, Ford and his team researched ways to use farmers' crops in his Ford Motor Company. They discovered that the soybean was the perfect answer. Soon, Ford's cars contained many soybean plastic parts, and Ford incorporated soybeans into every part of his life. He ate soybeans, he wore clothes made of soybean fabric, and he wanted to drive soybeans, too. Award-winning author Peggy Thomas and illustrator Edwin Fotheringham explore this American icon's little-known quest.

Back in the 1830s, who was a young blacksmith from Vermont, about to make his mark on American history? John Deere, that’s who! Who moved to Illinois, where farmers were struggling to plow through the thick, rich soil they called gumbo? Who tinkered and tweaked and tested until he invented a steel plow that sliced into the prairie easy as you please? Long before the first tractor, who changed farming forever? John Deere, that’s who! Beautiful illustrations—including spectacular landscapes—reflect the time period and bring John Deere's remarkable story to life.

A former basketball star, Farmer Will Allen is an innovator, educator, and community builder. When he looked at an abandoned city lot he saw a huge table, big enough to feed the whole world. This is the inspiring story of his determination to bring good food to every table.

This book responds to the widespread recognition among experts that our educational system needs to change in order to provide the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure the future vitality of U.S. agriculture. Understanding Agriculture focuses on agricultural literacy (education about agriculture) and vocational agricultural education (education in agriculture). The section on agricultural literacy addresses the teaching of science through agriculture, teacher education and training, model educational programs, community support, and agricultural career exploration programs. Vocational agricultural education is examined in terms of program enrollment, availability and content, supervised occupational experiences, the Future Farmers of America program, and teacher education and supply.

Meet Alexander and Charlie - the farm boy and his helpful dog who narrate the busy life of a modern, working soybean farm in this fun and informative picture book about a family growing one of the top crops of American agriculture The busy days and many jobs of a farm family, the life cycle of a soybean plant, and its life as a crop getting to market are all detailed in My Family's Soybean Farm, a picture book on what it takes to grow soybeans, and how the crop becomes the many products we use every day. Each spread walks readers through the many steps of planting and growing the crop throughout the seasons, with extensive text features placed beside the story offering range of additional information for readers, from STEM concepts to illustrations of farm equipment, diagrams, and more. The family's working together is highlighted throughout, across traditional roles and with modern-day tech: Alexander watches as Mom drives the tractor in a modern cab complete with GPS technology, and later, he and Dad check the crop both with age-old techniques like walking the fields ("crop scouting") and by using the latest drone technology, too. Detailed drawings show the life cycle of the soybean crop, as well as diagrams on larger concepts, like how soybeans are alternated with corn for soil preservation. Illustrations and information about literally every farm vehicle and other vehicles involved in growing soybeans and getting them to market are also here - including tractor and planter, sprayer, wagons and grain bins, processors, and finally, even barges and trains to get the crops to markets both domestic and around the world. Spreads also show how soybeans are used in a range of products, from Charlie's bowl of dog food, to foods like soy sauce, feed for farm animals, and more. About the publisher: Feeding Minds Press is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture whose mission is to build awareness and understanding of agriculture through education. We focus on helping young readers understand where their food comes from, who grows it, and how it gets to them and believe in cultivating curiosity about food and farming and how agriculture plays a role in our daily lives. All books from Feeding Minds Press have accompanying lessons, activities, and videos to further learning available on their website, www.feedingmindspress.com.

With its clear, unambiguous text, diagrams and illustration, Why People Need Plants is a wide-ranging andattractive introduction to the science behind the essential functions performed by plants.

* MOONBEAM GOLD AWARD * * GROWING GOOD KIDS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND NATIONAL MASTER JUNIOR GARDENER PROGRAM * Milk doesn't just appear in your refrigerator, nor do apples grow in the bowl on the kitchen counter. Before We Eat has been adopted by the USDA’s Agriculture in the Classroom program. Before we eat, many people work very hard—planting grain, catching fish, tending farm animals, and filling crates of vegetables. With vibrant illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian, this book reminds us what must happen before food gets to our tables to nourish our bodies and spirits. This expanded edition of Before We Eat includes back-of-book features about school gardens and the national farm-to-school movement. Fountas & Pinnell Level L