Urban high school students may soon be watching the documentary film Farmland as part of their curriculum, thanks to the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Foundation (USFRF), a new philanthropic arm of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA).
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USFRA, a partnership of nearly 100 farmer- and rancher-led organizations and agricultural partners, created the foundation to build consumer confidence in U.S. agriculture.
Lesson plans are based on Farmland and meet educational criteria in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for all high school students. These interactive lessons are available free online here.
“Our research shows that today, only 40 percent of consumers feel confident in the long-term safety of how their food is grown and raised,” says Nancy Kavazanjian, chair of USFRA and soy checkoff farmer-leader. “Our goal with the foundation, and specifically with this, is to build trust with the next generation of consumers by engaging with them in open and honest dialogues about how their food is grown and raised. If we can’t take them all to a farm, at least we can bring the farm to them!”
In addition to designing curriculum to educate urban students about agriculture, the foundation will offer scholarships about scholastic programs, thanks to public and private funding.
To learn more about USFRF, email twurschmidt@usfraonline.org, or call 636-438-8177.