Anoka County 4-H working to bring a positive message about farming to area youth

There were 615 farms spanning almost 100,000 acres in Anoka County in 1969. Today, there are 396 farms covering fewer than 45,000 acres.

Urban sprawl has turned a lot of that Anoka County farmland into prime residential and business developments. Homes, schools, shopping centers and restaurants now occupy land that used to be cornfields, barns and pastures.

Even though there are fewer farms in Anoka County today than 45 years ago (as is the case in counties throughout the United States), it’s still important for Anoka and similar communities to maintain some type of connection to the farm.

Whether you live in a big city, small town, or a farming community turned metro suburb like Anoka County, everybody eats food that comes from a farm. Farming still plays a major role in your everyday life.

That’s why the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) was more than happy to donate bags made out of corn and other fun corn-related items for a farm-themed summer youth program run by the Anoka County 4-H at Northgate Woods, a low-income housing community in Anoka.

Over seven programs this summer, youth from Northgate Woods learned about animals and plants in agriculture. Specific topics included corn, dairy cows, chickens and soybeans. Project kits were provided by the Anoka County Farm Bureau to aid in lesson planning.

“By using presentations, story books, games, and hands-on activities, youth who have no connection to a farm learn about the science of agriculture in a meaningful way,” said Layne Tralle, 4-H Youth Teaching Youth Coordinator in Anoka County. “For example, an Anoka County 4-H member brought two chickens as part of her presentation to the youth at Northgate Woods. They were able to touch the chickens’ combs, feathers, feet, and beaks. They left 4-H that day understanding what chickens are fed and how they are cared for. They learned how to tell what color eggs each chicken will lay and when they eat eggs at home, they’ll know what kind of chicken they came from. Teaching youth about the science of agriculture helps them build a greater appreciation and connection to the farmers who grow the food they eat. They also have a much greater understanding about how corn and soybean farmers grow the food fed to livestock, which in turn feeds them.” 

Anoka County 4-H also connects with other youth over the entire summer with events like an agriculture scavenger hunt, 4-H Family Farmfest, ag day camps and a visit to the ag campus at the University of Minnesota.

Minnesota’s corn farmers are proud to support organizations like the Anoka County 4-H as they work to deliver a positive and educational message about food and farming in areas that are not as directly connected to the farm as they once were.