MOULTRIE — On May 6 and 7, the fourth grade students from eight elementary schools in Colquitt County visited the Cooperative Extension Ag Complex for an Agriculture Awareness Day.

This event was the brainstorm of Colquitt County Farm Bureau’s office manager, Charlotte Wingate. As part of the Ag in the Classroom program, Wingate wanted to reach students at all elementary schools in Colquitt County and she proposed that the best way to do that was to bring the students to one central location and have exhibits representing commodities grown in the county. This two-day event focused on exhibitors educating fourth grade students where their food and clothing originate as well as how farmers take care of the land by using conservation methods of farming.

“Agriculture is the largest industry in the county and hopefully these students learned a little more about the industry and how important it is to each and every one of us as well as our county, state and country,” Wingate said.

Along with the Colquitt County Farm Bureau, this event was co-sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service, Colquitt County Young Farmers, Georgia Cotton Women and the Ag Committee of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce. Together this group put together a “mini expo” consisting of exhibitors from the following commodity areas: Georgia Cotton Commission, fruits and vegetables, Georgia Cotton Women, Colquitt County Farm Bureau, Georgia Cotton Commission, honeybees, Sanderson Farms (poultry), Natural Resources Conservation Service, Georgia Forestry Commission, mobile dairy classroom and the Georgia Beef Board.

There were also exhibits of various livestock and faming equipment. Lasseter Tractor Company and Demott Tractor Company provided the equipment and local FFA/4-H students provided the livestock. The students ate lunch at the Cooperative Extension auditorium and were treated to ice cream donated by Sparkman Cream Valley, a Colquitt County dairy. The Moultrie Federated Guild and DeMott Peanut Company sponsored lunch for the exhibitors.