Virtual Field Trips to Soybean Farms to Continue in 2019
March 22, 2019
It would be difficult to bring more than 1,200 students to farms during planting and harvesting season — it’s much easier to bring the farms to them. In 2018, students from around the state used live video conferencing software to ride along with Ohio soybean farmers as they planted, maintained and harvested their crops and worked to improve water quality on their farms.
Students in Ohio and beyond will continue to have the opportunity to connect with farmers in real time in their fields and on their equipment through the Ohio Soybean Council’s (OSC) Virtual Field Trip to an Ohio Soybean Farm program. The success and demand from the program’s inaugural year in 2018 have led to five more scheduled trips for 2019.
“These trips allow students of all ages to investigate soybean production and life cycles, the uses and impact of soybeans, and the practices farmers are implementing to conserve and improve our environment, all live and from the perspective of the farmer,” said Tom Fontana, OSC’s director of research and education. “For many, it’s as close as they’ve ever been to stepping foot in a soybean field.”
The program has received positive feedback from participants. Through survey evaluations, 90 percent of participating teachers said they would recommend the program to their colleagues, and respondents unanimously said they would participate in future virtual trips.
Comments from teacher evaluations indicate that they enjoy the authentic, interactive and informative nature of the live conversations with farmers, while allowing their students to make real-world connections and be “on-site” without losing a whole school day for a field trip.
“The results the first year speak for themselves and surpass what we considered to be ambitious expectations,” Fontana said. In addition to the 1,200 students who participated live, over 5,000 students from over 200 classrooms had the opportunity to view recorded versions of the trips.
Tailored to specific grade levels, special attention is provided toward helping teachers meet Ohio education standards through the trips, of which more than 95 percent of surveyed teachers said it helped them do.
Wood County farmer Nathan Eckel, Ross County farmer Scott Metzger and Hancock County farmer Anthony Stateler were the faces of the program in 2018, welcoming students and their questions to their farms through their phones and iPads.
“Having the ability to advocate and educate on behalf of our industry while we are in the field working has been an eye-opening experience for all involved, including us farmers,” said Nathan Eckel. “Students and teachers are engaged in the conversation and getting their information directly from us rather than from Google.”
The Virtual Field Trip program is part of a larger effort to educate both teachers and students about modern agriculture. OSC’s web-based education platform, GrowNextGen.org, has classroom curriculum, e-learning courses and career videos — all designed to educate the next generation of consumers and generate interest in agriculture careers.
The 2019 trip schedule includes:
- May 14 – Elementary Spring Planting
- May 15 – Middle/High School Spring Planting
- Fall – Middle/High School Water Quality & Nutrient Management
- October – Elementary Fall Harvest
- October – Middle/High School Fall Harvest
For more information, or to register for a Virtual Field Trip to an Ohio Soybean Farm, visit GrowNextGen, or contact Tom Fontana at tfontana@soyohio.org or 614-476-3100.
