By DEBORAH BEHRENDS
Illinois Correspondent

SANDWICH, Ill. — For the eighth consecutive year, DeKalb County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Literacy Program has worked with local agricultural organizations and agribusinesses to donate books to 38 elementary and middle school libraries across the county.

“When we were growing up, everyone had some sort of ag background. If they didn’t live on a farm, their grandparents did,” said Al Dietz of Clare, DeKalb County Lamb and Wool Producers president. “It’s always good to educate students on agriculture; the sooner, the better,” said Ken Hintzsche of Hintzsche Companies, dealers in ag chemicals and services.

“We do this every year during National Ag-riculture Week to celebrate what farmers bring to us, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear,” said Rhodora Collins, to the children who accepted the books on behalf of the school. Collins is DeKalb County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture Literacy coordinator.

Herman E. Dummer School librarian Diana Dacy said she chose three students who have a farm background. All three – Trey Stahl, Alix McGill and Carrie Rogers – were fourth-graders. Stahl and Rogers both said they have regular chores that include feeding their pets and livestock.

“It’s really rewarding to visit a classroom and find several of the books we’ve donated over the years being used by the teachers and students,” Collins said. “Teachers have come to rely heavily on the books we have provided to teach about modern farming.”
The annual effort targets students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Each school library received titles appropriate to the grade levels within that school. Collins said 223 books and DVDs were distributed during National Agriculture Week, March 15-21. Since 2002, 1,700 items have been donated to public and private schools in DeKalb County.

Provided this year were The Amazing Pig, a DVD for grades 4-6, presented by the Illinois Pork Producers Assoc.; Beans by Julie Murray, for grades 1-3; Corn by Gail Gibbons, for grades 1-4; A Hog Ate my Homework by Gary Metivier, for grades 1-5; The Shepherd’s Trail by Cat Urbigkit, for grades 3-6; Soil by David L. Lindbo, for grades 4-8; and Biofuels by David and Patricia Armentrout, for grades 5-8.

Organizations sponsoring the books are Conserv FS, DeKalb Area Pork Producers, DeKalb County Corn & Soybean Growers, DeKalb County Lamb & Wool Producers and Hintzsche Companies.