Thursday, June 24, 1:15-2:05 pm

Select your workshop when you register! This year participants will have the opportunity to select their first choice and an alternate for each workshop session time slot when registering. Every effort will be made to provide you with your top choices. Admittance tickets for each session will be in your registration packet. The earlier you register, the better your chances of getting your desired workshop sessions. 

Presenters have designated grade levels for their workshop sessions.  Frequently, the ideas and lessons shared can be adjusted up or down depending on the age of the group you are educating.  The grade levels are merely suggestions and you are welcome to attend any session.  Please understand that the program may change due to circumstances beyond our control which may necessitate session changes. 

#1  Growing Healthy Habits

Grades K-8

Chrissa Carlson, Hampstead Hill Academy
Lisa Lachenmayr, University of Maryland Extension

This session will provide participants with guidance in linking vegetable gardening programs at youth education sites with the specific goal of providing nutrition education through gardening. The UME curriculum, Growing Healthy Habits (GHH) will be highlighted.  GHH is a gardening and nutrition education curriculum providing easy-to-adopt lessons.  GHH uses growing food as the teaching vehicle to link nutrition and gardening concepts in both in-school and out-of-school youth educational settings. 

#2  Teach a child to feed a family ...
     Teach a school to feed a community

  Grades K-5 

Tanna Nicely, Tennessee Foundation for AITC 

Come and listen to the success story of the largest urban, inner city garden project in Knoxville, TN. Tanna has developed partnerships with Ameri-Corps, Ijams Nature Center, and the Tomato Head restaurant to assist in teaching the kids and parents how to grow their own food at a school with over a 90% poverty level. The "Victory Garden of Dogwood" has become a catalyst for other garden projects in the region.  Participants will receive list of partnerships as well as a comprehensive bibliography of books and activities the teachers used to connect the garden to the classroom.

#3  The Scrambled States of Agriculture 
     (also offered in Session 2)

    Grades 3-8 

Kevin Daugherty, Illinois AITC   

Join us as we explore the USA with agriculture, literature and unique interest approaches.   This literature unit offers something from each geographic region (Blueberries for Sal (Maine), Apples to Oregon,…and now Miguel (New Mexico) , The Life and Times of a Peanut (North Carolina) and Wheat (Kansas) along with many others!  This unit will explore the link between great literature, geography and agriculture based activities with a focus on Literacy Work Stations.  Practical take away materials ready to infuse into classrooms across the nation are provided!

#4  Farming and Geography: What a Match

 Grades K-5

Leanne Meisinger & Lynda Hampshire, Calvert County Public Schools, Maryland

This session includes hands-on activities ready for use in the classroom, including a farm vocabulary book and a farm scavenger hunt.  Both use photographs about farming to help students build their awareness of rural areas and agricultural activities.  Students observe, infer and read to learn information about farm landscapes.  CD of lessons provided.

#5  The "Write" MOO-ves; Agriculture through
     Language Arts  (also offered in Session 2)

 Grades K-5

Lynn Stadelmeier, Virginia AITC 

Join the staff from Virginia AITC in a highly interactive session full of hands-on lesson ideas designed to integrate agriculture into your daily curriculum.  Explore the connection between agriculture and language arts through engaging activities, developed to grow great minds.  Workshop participants will leave with practical ideas and samples ready for immediate use in the classroom.  

#6  Cows, Calcium and Cheese  (also offered in Session 2)

Grades K-8 

Marie Frohlich, Cabot Creamery, Vermont 

Goal is to share information about Cabot’s nutrition and agricultural activities from our Cows Calcium and Cheese Kit.  Kits are free to participants.  I will also go over the other resources Cabot offers for free, including our grant program. All participants will receive a free kit.

#7  Charm City

  Grades K-4 

Tonya Wible, PA Friends of Ag Foundation

You’re visiting “Charm City” (Baltimore’s nickname)… now Explore an Ag Charm Workshop.  Many years ago, Maryland developed the first Farm Charm.  Now, a dozen years later, Pennsylvania and Maryland are rolling out the “charms” with more ideas than you can imagine.  Added to the farm charm are baseball charms, pizza charms, dairy charms – you name it and we can “charm” it.  Come get a bagful of ideas at this “charming” workshop.

#8  Including Commodities in your AITC Sessions

   Grades 6-12 

Chris Fleming, Tennessee Foundation for AITC

Agriculture in the Classroom sessions can often center on food (as well they should) but we have found a way to include information about the raw commodities. Whether it’s ranking samples of our “Top Twenty” or completing a commodities map for our state or nation, reminding students about the source of our meals is important. We will complete these activities and others as we identify ways to “Let’em Know, What We Grow!”      

#9  Making Food Taste Great  (also offered in Session 2)

  All Levels 

John Ellingsworth, McCormick & Co. Inc.

Mc Cormick’s Research and Development division is constantly refining and developing “taste” sensations. This session will explore the flavor perceptions around aroma, taste, appearance and mouthfeel of different foods.  You will go on a taste excursion to learn how you use your senses to evaluate the aroma and flavor of products.  Lots of “tasty” ideas to take back to your classroom.

#10  McCormick & Company  (also offered in Session 2)

Grades 3-12

Kitty Lentz, McCormick & Co. Inc.

McCormick & Co. Inc has been in business since 1889, and wouldn’t exist without agriculture.  Let’s learn a little about McCormick history, and then take a journey to distant lands to learn about the agriculture of two of our favorite products; vanilla and cinnamon.  First, we’ll learn about the agronomy of vanilla and cinnamon, where these are grown, how they are processed, and then learn how to use our senses to evaluate the aroma and flavor (or quality) of these favorite products.