You could be a chicken or a turkey

Youth in Chesterfield County - just south of Richmond- will soon be able to earn more about chickens, due to a grant aimed at enhancing agricultural education.
Chesterfield County Farm Bureau was one of five county Farm Bureaus in the U.S. to recently receive a White-Reinhardt Grant from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

The county Farm Bureau was awarded $1,000 to expand educational outreach about Chesterfield’s poultry sector.

The Bureau’s Women’s Committee partnered with the Chesterfield County office of Virginia Cooperative Extension for the grant, and the funds will be used to purchase a customizable “poultry photo op” trivia and photo board. “We wanted to create a fun learning opportunity,” explained Carter Humphries, Chesterfield 4-H Extension agent. The display will educate both adults and youth about a variety of poultry topics like chicken development, hatching, by-products and more.

The board will be used at local events, including in the county Extension’s poultry tent at the annual Chesterfield County Fair. While answering trivia questions, guests can pose for pictures, placing their heads through the display’s cutouts that resemble a chicken and turkey.

Humphries said she hopes this new form of engagement also will increase interaction between 4-H members and the public.

The White-Reinhardt grant will cover a portion of the photo board’s cost, with Chesterfield Farm Bureau contributing the remaining amount.

“When Carter approached us with this project, we were happy to support her with additional funding to get it from paper to an engaging learning activity,” said Karen Jones, co-chair of the Chesterfield Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.

“As a former teacher, I view this as a hands-on experience that will not only help educate children and students, but also their parents and other adults. It’s another tool in the toolbox that helps the public understand the importance of agriculture in today’s world.”

The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education is a project of the AFBFA in cooperation with the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee. The initiative recognizes communities and educators who engage with students and teach them about the fundamental role farming plays in their lives. Grant funding is allocated through county and state Farm Bureaus and is used for projects that create or expand agricultural literacy programs for grades K-12.