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The Coffee County Farm Bureau celebrated National Ag Day March 21 by welcoming the areas youngest citizens for some hands on learning activities.

With different learning stations set up at the Farm Bureau ranging from a mock apple orchard to getting an up close look at heavy farm machinery, students could learn the ins and outs of agriculture.

Mark McBride, Coffee County Farm Bureau agency manager said they decided to put something together for National Ag Day this year, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023.

“Part of our mission at Farm Bureau is to help educate the public about agriculture,” McBride said during the event. “We always think it is important to teach the kids, many of which don’t live on a farm, where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture.”

According to the Tennessee Farm Bureau, the state is home to 69,500 farms making up 40% of the land in Tennessee. The agriculture industry in Tennessee has an economic impact of $81 billion, with 342,000 residents employed in agriculture or forestry.

McBride said agriculture is the number one employer in both Coffee County and the state of Tennessee.

“A lot of jobs, I think close to 25%, depend on the agriculture industry to survive,” he said.

Students from Temple Baptist Christian School were one group able to take advantage of the activities offered by the Farm Bureau for National Ag Day.

Teacher Pam Stewart said it was a great opportunity for the school’s students to learn about farming and agriculture.

“One of our school parents is here and she told us it was going on and we came over here,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the event is definitely something the school will consider attending in future years.

McBride said Coffee County has always been active in educating students about agriculture.

“We are doing more going to the schools, we have opportunities where the Farm Bureau Women volunteer to go to the teachers classrooms and read those agriculture books,” he said. “Sometimes we will go to an elementary school and actually take some livestock, some sheep or calves and talk about them.”

McBride said National Ag Day offered an opportunity for the Coffee County Farm Bureau to engage with students.

“These are future voters, future taxpayers, they need to understand about agriculture and if we don’t tell that story then who is going to tell it,” McBride said.