Ag’em Up celebrates, shares knowledge of Bladen County’s No. 1 industry

ELIZABETHTOWN — Ag’em Up, three days of field events Oct. 11-13, was modified this year to make stops at the schools.

In most years, the event is held at the Bladen County Parks & Recreation Department field. It was modified with site visits, taking precautions such as wearing masks and applying hand sanitizer.

A great learning experience for the elementary students was created with the help of N.C. Cooperative Extension–Bladen County Center; Bladen Soil & Water Conservation District; Natural Resources Conservation Service; Bladen County Farm Bureau; Cape Fear Farm Credit; Bladen County Livestock Association; Four County Electric; Smithfield Hog Production; Prestage Farms; Future Farmers of America clubs at East Bladen High, West Bladen High and Bladenboro Middle; and the Bladen County Board of Education.

Eight schools participated. The first day was at Elizabethtown Christian Academy and East Arcadia School. The second day went to Bladenboro Primary, Dublin Primary and Plain View Primary. Third day stops were at Bladen Lakes Primary, Elizabethtown Primary and Emereau: Bladen Charter School. The students and teachers were able to have a first-hand experience about the No. 1 industry in Bladen County — agriculture.

During the field days, students and teachers rotated between five stations representing different commodities and fields of agriculture found in Bladen County as well as a presentation on nutrition. There were more than 50 volunteers, including middle and high school agriculture students that helped teach the students and provide assistance to keep the event running smoothly.

The third-graders and their teachers learned about livestock such as poultry, swine and beef, row crops, horticulture, beekeeping with the help of one of our local beekeepers, soils and the environment. Within each station, the lessons and hands-on interactions between the students and the presenters made the experience memorable.

Ag’em Up Field Day is an annual event in Bladen County that occurs in October. This is a valuable event for our youth within the county. It helps them to recognize at an early age the enormous amount of opportunities within this industry from nutrition to livestock.

Agriculture plays a crucial part of our everyday life and it’s important for the student to understand that. What better way to help them understand than to have them see it first-hand.