By Katie Drewitz
University of Minnesota
Extension
Are you an elementary school teacher, a homeschooling parent, or guardian of a K-6 child? Want to help students learn about where their food comes from in a fun and easy way? Did you know that there’s a free, custom magazine for every grade, K-6, available to all teachers to help improve agricultural literacy and showcase the value of ag to all students? The AgMag series is developed by the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom program following Minnesota academic standards. AgMag is a perfect accompaniment to traditional textbooks and resources, offering close-to-home examples about producers and agricultural business to help kids connect with agriculture and learn more about how food and goods get from the farm to their home.
Since 1986, the Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) Program and the MAITC Foundation have developed and distributed the AgMag magazine series, FREE to Minnesota educators. AgMag enhances K-6 curricula by providing free, non-fiction resources to help increase agricultural literacy. It is based on Minnesota academic standards and National Ag Literacy Outcomes. Two custom AgMags are published for each grade level, kindergarten through 6 th grade, to ensure that reading levels and topics are appropriate and encourage unique standards-based learning and curiosity for all.
AgMag is a perfect accompaniment to traditional textbooks and resources, offering close-to-home examples about producers and agricultural business to help kids connect with agriculture and learn more about how food and goods get from the farm to their home. There are free accompanying lesson plans for each issue of AgMag based on Minnesota academic standards and National Ag Literacy Outcomes to allow seamless classroom integration. AgMag provides a unique piece for students to engage with beyond their typical textbooks and materials. The magazine features real-life farmers and businesses from across the state, highlighting people and organizations that kids can feel a connection to.
To learn more and sign up to get AgMags for your classroom, visit mnagmag.org. Please order one AgMag for each student (plus a few extras). Be sure to select “Sign-up for All Issues for 2022-2023 School Year” on the online order form to receive the fall issue in October and the spring issue in March.
If you have questions or would like more information please reach out to your local Extension Educator. Residents in Fillmore and Houston counties can call (507) 765-3896 or (507) 725-5807 or email wins0115@umn.edu. Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom is a public/private partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. Foundation that provides free curricula, educational resources, grants, outreach, and professional development opportunities to increase ag literacy through K-12 education. Contact Sue Knott sue.knott@state.mn.us or Keri Sidle at keri.sidle@state.mn.us for more information.