Alaska Agriculture Day 2008 featured the second annual "Read for Agricultural Literacy" project. Special readers visited classrooms and read "Farming" by Ann Love or other books on agriculture. Some schools had special all-day agricultural celebrations. More than 100 classrooms of students participated in Alaska Ag Day events around the state. See a photo recap.

Alaska Agriculture Day 2008's special project was the compilation and presentation of several "Learning Barns" to schools around the state. Thanks to funding from the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture White-Reinhardt Fund, the Alaska Division of Agriculture, Alaska Farm Bureau, COUNTRY Companies and other local businesses, nine totes decorated like barns and stuffed with books, DVDs, printed materials, kits and commodity samples were presented to schools in Kenai, Palmer, Fairbanks and Anchorage at schools were teachers have shown an interest in promoting agricultural literacy. More barns will be placed in the fall.

See our other Ag-tivities great for Alaska Ag Day.

Alaska Agriculture has many aspects, from traditional production agriculture like dairy, beef, barley, potatoes and hay, to horticulture, diversified livestock, organic vegetables, specialty crops, farm woodlots, birch syrup and a host of small-acreage crops and limited livestock operations across the state.

The Alaska Ag Day poster designed by Annalise Theisen of Kenai reflects this remarkable diversity. Order a copy of the 17-by-22-inch poster or download a letter-size copy to print (652KB). Check out the links on the Links page for more information on Alaska agriculture.

Get involved and help support Alaska Agriculture. Help promote agricultural literacy. Celebrate Alaska's agricultural past and future. There are classroom activities posted on the Teachers page. Here are some ideas:

SCHOOLS
	Organize schoolyard plantings Conduct schoolwide Ag Day carnivals Hold Alaska Ag Day Assemblies Organize Ag-Olympics

CLASSROOMS
	Assign special Ag Day projects Take fields trips and/or invite speakers Have Ag in the Classroom activity days Eat Alaska Grown snacks Conduct Alaska Ag Day contests

CHURCHES		AG PRODUCERS
	Deliver message related to stewardship Receive special offering for food bank Recognize ag producers in congregation Sing appropriate hymns and songs		Provide farm tours Offer classroom visits Donate sample produce for classrooms Sponsor Alaska Ag Day events

HOME SHOOLERS		COMMUNITIES
	Take ag field trips Assign special projects Do gardening activities Participate in farm-city exchanges		Proclaim Alaska Ag Day locally Honor a local ag producer or company Hold a special Ag Day event

BUSINESSES		LIBRARIES
	Display Alaska Ag Day Posters Feature Alaska Grown items Run special promotions on ag-related goods Sponsor Alaska Day activities at schools		Hold Ag Day story times Feature books on Alaska agriculture Display Alaska agriculture's history Invite speakers on Alaska agriculture

CLUBS & ORGANIZTIONS
	Hold Ag Day fun activities Organize food drives for local food banks Help local Head Start or other preschool do Ag Day activities Record memories of retired farmers