With the varsity yr coming to a detailed and summer season closing in, college students engaged with volunteers about how they will making correct consuming decisions to maintain their physique wholesome.
The OSU Extension Unit introduced its Farm to You Program, consisting of a 40-by-40-foot stroll via exhibit of 9 stations, to Plato Elementary college students on Tuesday, Could 10.
Brenda Gandy-Jones, OSU Extension Educator, mentioned they needed present the children the place their meals comes from, in addition to how meals is used all through the physique and the aim of meals.
“We begin out by speaking about what we produce in Oklahoma,” Gandy-Jones mentioned. “We develop watermelons, we increase cattle, that type of factor.”
Throughout the occasion, college students traveled via the 9 displays to study concerning the relationships between agriculture, meals and well being.
College students engaged with station volunteers, starting with studying about farming within the first three stations. College students began with a tour of Oklahoma farmland, the place they discovered about the place their meals is grown and concerning the crops in Oklahoma. College students then moved into studying concerning the farmer’s life and the completely different duties they do to maintain the animals wholesome and the meals secure. Whereas on this journey, college students engaged within the alternative to learn to milk a life-like dairy cow. The scholars wrapped their farm engagement up once they talked concerning the farmer’s market with fruits and produce and discovered how the meals will get from the farmer to the buyer.
College students then moved into the mouth — they actually walked in a tongue and pulled up a tooth chair to take a seat on as they discovered concerning the starting of the digestion course of and protecting their mouth wholesome by brushing and flossing.
The subsequent cease on the tour, the abdomen, let college students study the function it performs within the digestion course of and find out how to decide what sorts of meals to eat and the way usually they want them.
Following the digestion course of, college students discovered concerning the intestines and the way excessive fiber meals are vital for correct diet.
Gandy-Jones mentioned on this cease on the tour, college students obtained to the touch and really feel a villi recreation hooked up to the highest of the tent.
College students discovered how the villi helps cleanse the intestines, in accordance with Gandy-Jones.
From there, they discovered concerning the significance of the muscle tissue within the physique and the right diet for muscular well being.
Different subjects included the significance of consuming calcium-rich meals to have wholesome bones, the mind and the significance of getting the right quantity of sleep and consuming well-balanced meals.
After exiting the tent tour, college students discovered about hand sanitization and hygiene.
Becky Brown, Exhibit Coordinator with OSU Group Vitamin Schooling Packages (CNEP), mentioned they educate the children the hyperlink between agriculture, diet and well being.
“Oklahoma ranks constantly within the backside 5 states for well being indicators and well being behaviors,” Brown mentioned. “We’re right here attempting to vary that.”
In line with Brown, there’s an enormous want for well being schooling in Oklahoma, from diet schooling to understanding the mandatory wholesome meals to take care of a wholesome way of life in rising and dealing.
“We’re attempting to show the connection in going from farm to plate,” Brown mentioned. “Additionally, educating about Oklahoma on the identical time.”
Brown mentioned since 2008, they’ve had over 170,000 college students come via the exhibit as a part of a number of occasions and the numbers proceed to develop as they get again to in-person displays.
“Throughout Covid, we even have a digital exhibit that we dwell stream into the school rooms,” Brown mentioned. “That’s been actually cool — we’ve reached over 5,300 college students with that, over Covid.”
For extra details about Farm to You, go to farmtoyou.okstate.edu or contact at farmtoyou@okstate.edu.
