EDUCATION CAN BE FUN

GRANTS - Grants/Cibola Ag Day, held annually at the Grants Rodeo Grounds, had its 12th meeting April 22. Students from 34 classes, their teachers and volunteer parents attended the event, 17 classes in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. All together, there were 615 attendees for the day.

The main purpose of the event is “to educate our youth not only about agriculture but about the responsibility of taking care of our earth,” said Mary Savacheck, Ag Day volunteer.

Students enjoyed the many booths assembled by environmental, educational and farming entities. Outside, Smoky Bear and the U.S. Forest Service taught a very interested group of students about fire prevention, keeping in mind that summer vacation is approaching, a time when families go camping and the height of the fire season. Coordinators Isaiah Archuleta, Marsha Hagerdon and Drew Henry also told about the various career opportunities and explained their display of work tools.

Representing the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Erin Hurd manned a popular exhibit. Built on a trailer was a ranch setting atop gravel that would erode when water was added from different directions or sources representing fresh water, rain or runoff. Hurd explained the rebuilding of the watershed, erosion and the water cycle. Hurd also included career opportunities.

Just Right Farms' Penny McDaugale was there with two-month-old Pretty Woman, a Duroc piglet whose only interest was rooting to find a cooler resting place and Alpacas of New Mexico enthralled students and adults with Bandolero and Jimmy, two Huacaya Alpacas.

Inside the Cow Palace were educational exhibits and presentations by Future Foundations Family Center, Grants Rodeo Association, The Cibola/McKinley County Farm and Livestock Bureau and Hawks Aloft, among others.

Future Foundations Family Center's Youth Council Coordinator, Dale Good, promoted awareness of the possible results of smoking. Future Foundations was also represented by Wendy Brown, 4-H home economist and Jolene Gonzales, youth coordinator.

Three Hawks Aloft educators brought a few of the birds that they care for to educate fair goers about what might happen when nature and technology collide. David Powell brought a Merlin falcon that had lost part of one wing, and his wife, Sandy Powell had an American Crow that was abandoned at birth. Kim Villescas was caring for an American Kestrel.

Grants High School students Cassandra Gutierrez, Natasha Hite, Anita Atencio, Kayla Vandiver and Itzel Miramontes exhibited and demonstrated science projects such as a chemical reaction, and also explained the scientific method.

The Grants Rodeo Association booth was manned by Ina Mae Hoffman who shared a video of the early days of the association, including a cattle drive through the territory below Mount Taylor where Grants High School has since been built.

New Mexico State Forestry personnel explained soil and tree conservation.

Teachers were enthusiastic about the presentations of practical and hands-on science. Tanya Ott, formerly a Grants teacher, was one of the founders of Ag Day and is now a teacher in Gallup. Ott and Betsy Lingert, another Grants teacher, got the idea for Ag Day after Ott helped one of her students with his science fair project. Lingert did not live to see the fair come into its own, dying of cancer before the first event. A scholarship has been set up in her name and is awarded to students who choose to go to college. Students can learn more about the Betsy Lingert Scholarship from their teachers.

“She is probably one of the most dedicated teachers I know,” said Jamie Holten, Grants Rodeo Association board member about Ott.

Ag Day has been held for 12 years at the rodeo grounds braving all sorts of scientifically adverse conditions. Freezing temperatures, dirt storms and snow only drove humans and animals indoors, but did now squelch their enthusiasm, which still reigns.