Farm Round Up Extended opens event to public
NOT COWED -- Logo for the Farm Round Up. the 2013 Farm Round Up. This year's roundup is expecting some 1,300 second-graders for the event April 16-17 in Conway. (U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture image.)
Fast facts
- Farm Round Up Extended is open to the public April 17, 5 p.m-7 p.m.
- Live animal exhibits and farmers market part of extended event
- Daytime Farm Round Up shows ag impact on every day life
(320 words)
CONWAY, Ark. -- Thirteen-hundred second graders and nine stations in two hours will add up to a trip around the world of Agriculture on April 16-17 as part of the annual Faulkner County Farm Round Up.
“Why is it important to know about agriculture? From the time you get up to the time you go to bed, agricultural products are part of your meals, your clothing and even your car,” said Melanie Malone, Faulkner County extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Many people are at least two generations removed from farm living and this is a chance for us all to be reacquainted with the source of our food, fiber and fuel.”
The Farm Round Up will include interactive and live animal exhibits including a beehive and dairy and beef cattle.
Farm Round Up, held at the Don Owens Sports Complex riding arena, 10 Lower Ridge Road in Conway, was created in 2005. It’s hosted by the Faulkner County Extension Service and sponsored by the Faulkner County Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Services, First Service Bank and multiple farm families.
“This is a hands-on event,” said Kami Marsh, Faulkner County extension agent said. “Students will be able to get up close to cows and chickens. At some of the stations, they will get to see rice, corn, soybeans or cotton before they are processed into cereal, oils or clothing. Many have never seen the product right out of the field before.”
The event has grown so much in its short lifetime that organizers had to add a second, identical circle of nine stations.
Daytime event extended for families
For the first time, an additional event called Farm Round Up Extended will give the public a chance to experience what the second-graders will see plus take advantage of a mini Farmers’ Market and see live animal exhibits. The extended version also takes place at the Don Owens Sports Complex Riding Arena and will be held April 17 from 5 -7 p.m.
For more information on the Faulkner County Farm Round Up Extended Edition please contact the Faulkner County Extension Office at 501-329-8344 or mmalone@uada.edu
For more information about agriculture, contact your county extension agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
By Mary Hightower
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu
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