Spencer-Van Etten Agriculture Teacher Ms. Ackerley reads to a SVE second grade class. (Provided Photo)
Tioga County celebrated Agriculture Literacy Week with readings and activities involving apples and apple orchards. The selected book for 2016 is The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
This fun and exciting story shares the journey of Mr. Tiffin’s class on a field trip to an apple orchard. The students learn about every aspect of the farm from how apples are harvested, the process of making cider, and the many different varieties of apples. While the class picks their apples and experiences the farm, Mr. Tiffin gives them all a riddle to ponder. This book was selected as the 2015 American Farm Bureau Foundation for Education’s Book of the Year.
This year’s focus on apple production is exciting because of the importance of the apple industry in New York State, as we are ranked second nationally in production. Apples provide over 17,000 direct and indirect jobs, and there are over 680 apple producers on 55,000 acres across the state.
Through the Agricultural Literacy Week program teachers, students, and parents can learn more about this nutritionally and economically healthy and essential industry.
Agriculture Literacy Week is coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County, and they are pleased to announce that nearly 40 classrooms were treated to the program. The Farm Bureau of Tioga County generously donated money to purchase the books so that teachers can revisit the story as they wish.
