Entries sought for farm essay contest

“The machines that make Wisconsin agriculture work” is the topic of an essay contest for all Wisconsin fourth- and fifth-grade students, organized by the Ag in the Classroom program.

Any essay relating to agricultural machinery or equipment is welcome. Students can choose to explore the history of farm machinery in Wisconsin; the importance machines and equipment have had in the advancement of agriculture and food production; machinery companies and inventors from Wisconsin; bio-fuel and energy production and usage; the machines used to process food (i.e. cheese making, fluid milk production); or any other angle relating to agricultural machinery.

The contest is sponsored by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and We Energies.

Contest information, rules, lesson plans, resources, and sample activities are online at www.wisagclassroom.org.

Students need to submit essays by April 1 to their county Farm Bureau office. The essays must be 100 to 300 words in length and are judged on content, grammar, spelling and neatness. Nine Farm Bureau district winners will be chosen in April 2010 and a state winner will be selected in May 2010.

Each district winner will receive a classroom presentation and victory party in May 2010 for their entire class (or homeroom). The state winner will receive a special award.