Allenton, WI – Fourth-grade students from Slinger Elementary, Addison Elementary, Allenton Elementary and St. Peter Parish in Slinger spent time taking a closer look at the dairy industry with the help of Slinger High School FFA and Sunset Farms in Allenton, WI.
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“Food for America is an event we put on every year where fourth graders from different elementary schools come and learn about farms and where their food comes,” said Slinger FFA student Maddy Hess.
Students arrived by the bus load throughout the day, were separated into groups and toured various sections of the farm including the milking parlor, the calf barn, the fields, and they jumped on a wagon for a tractor tour to explore the 176-year tradition of Sunset Farms.
“One thing I hope they get out of this is that elementary students learn a little bit about FFA and once they get to middle school and high school, they have opportunities to
join us,” said Slinger FFA student Chloe Cauwels.
“The biggest thing today is to learn about where their food is coming from and a little bit about what we do on the farm,” said Karen Hughes with Sunset Farms “Every day we’re taking care of the cows, the environment, the land and all of our crops.
“The biggest misconception about farming is that we’re all big corporate farms but really this is a family farm. We’re the sixth generation, we’ve been on this location for 176 years and we really care about what we’re doing because we want to stay here for another 176 years.”
Slinger High School Ag-science instructor Katelyn Dei said opportunities like this allow the students to take ownership of their love for agriculture. “They might think they love agriculture just sitting in a classroom, but when they get out here, they come out different people; that’s why we have these kids they come back year after year after year.
“Ben Wolf works at Sunset Farms but continues to come back after graduation to be a part of this event because they love to advocate for our industry, and I think it is incredibly important to this next generation.”
Ben Wolf is seventh generation on Sunset Farms. “I come back every year to give wagon tours,” he said. “Getting these kids out here teaches them what actually goes on on the farm. It’s not really a red barn and a pasture anymore. A lot more goes on and it takes a lot of work. People need to know where their food comes from.”
The FFA chapter at Slinger High School offers agriculture classes that are a hands-on experience. Students thinking about either going down a career path tied to farming or agriculture have the option to take the “fun class” in high school.”
