AgBC's: F is for Farmers

We can't live without them. Farmers grow the food and fiber products we need and use every single day. Some say (myself included!) that farming is some of the most important work on earth!

Big or small, organic of conventional, farmers are vital to our livelihoods! But no matter what their size or production method, did you know 99% of American's farms are family-owned? Even the really big farms?

Farmers account for less than 2 percent of the world's population...but they feed the entire world population each and every day. In fact, modern agricultural methods have improved production so much that each American farmer feeds 155 people...in 1940, each American farmer only fed 19 people. Wow, that's a big responsibility!

Keep those farmers and producers in mind the next time you go to the grocery store. They work hard year round to keep those shelves stocked with safe, affordable and abundant food supplies. We are so lucky to enjoy the safest most affordable food supply in the world right here in America!

And today, the corn and soybeans farmers grow can even be turned into biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel that can be used to fuel the vehicles on our roadways.

While you're thinking about thanking farmers for your food (and even some of our fuel!), take some time to learn more about their very important jobs, too! Here are some ideas:

• Learn more about agriculture in your classroom! Use the resources of Ag in the Classroom online!
• Many farmers and ranchers are now active online and in social media like Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Here are some of our favorite dairy farmers that we featured last June during National Dairy Month.
• Visit a local farm and learn about how they produce the food you eat!
• Find out what farm life is really like...check out the lives of the Real Farmwives of America as they share stories of life on the farm, the struggles and challenges they face as parents, crafts, recipes and more.

This series is inspired by the book The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.

Make it 3-a-day for healthy kids!

It's oftentimes not easy to get kids to eat the things they should. But good nutrition is vital for healthy kids. As we continue our celebration of National Dairy Month, we want to share some great ideas for helping your kids get their "3-a-day" of dairy. These ideas come to us from our friends at the National Dairy Council and the NFL's Play 60 program.  For more information on the Fuel Up to Play 60 program and downloadable copies of their great educational resources, be sure to visit their website. The National Dairy Council also has tons of other great learning resources and lesson plans, so be sure to check those out if you teach at home or share them with any teachers you know, too.

Children’s bones are like bank accounts. They’re depositing calcium now for later in life. By age 20, the average young person has acquired about 98 percent of his or her skeletal mass. Getting adequate calcium and plenty of physical activity now can be the best defense against osteoporosis later in life. Among school-age children, only four out of 10 boys and three out of 10 girls get the calcium they need each day. Consuming at least three – ideally four for 9 through 18 year olds – servings of milk, cheese or yogurt, gets students on track for turning these statistics around. A nutritious diet that includes at least 3-Every-DayTM of Dairy and plenty of physical activity helps children build the strongest bones possible. Dairy foods provide calcium and eight other essential nutrients, including protein, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin, and niacin to help keep bones strong and bodies fit. (From 3-Every-Day of Dairy for Stronger Bones, Grade 4 classroom activity)

1) Make your own pizza bar! There are great resources for schools online at the Fuel Up for 60 site mentioned above, but you can do this for dinner in your own home, too! Just use the extra large refrigerated biscuits and roll them out to make individual, kid-sized pizza crusts. They make a great snack, or let each person make several for a meal. Offer plenty of healthy topics for kids to pick from, including a variety of low-fat or fat-free cheeses, jalepenos, black olives, hot sauce, peppers, fresh tomoatoes, pineapple, cooked chicket, etc. You get the idea. And what kid doesn't like pizza? You can also make a pizza with low-fat or fat-free cheese for breakfast! You'll be a meal-time superstar!

2) Have a potato bar! Potatoes are always a hit with kids, so offer them along witha  variety of low-fat and fat-free cheses, broccoli, chives, nuts, low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt mixed with spices, etc. The sky (and your immagination) are the limit here! Even Martha Stewart gets in on the family potato bar action (the pic above links you back to her take on it).

3) Take it up a notch with a tasty taco bar! Offer the kids lettuce, tomato, low-fat and fat-free cheses, hot sauce, salsa, low-fat sour cream, jalepenos, etc. Again, be creative! It's gotta be a hit..even Rachel Ray recommends it! (Click the picture above to be linked back to her recipe and instructions.)

4) Yowsers! Yogurt! It doesn't get much simpler than a yogurt bar...just set out a few flavors of low-fat and fat-free yogurt with toppings like fruit, whole-grain granola, buts, raisins, etc. Or, if you're looking to cool down and beat the heat, how about making your own frozen yogurt? Those cute little mini-Danonino yogurt cups are perfect: just stick a popsicle stick through the lid and freeze...that's it! Click the picture above to link to more Danonino recipes and ideas.

There you go: four simple and easy ways to get more dairy in your kids' diets.

Be sure to check out the cool online games for kids where they can learn more about the importance of good nutrition and plenty of exercise at Fuel Up to Play 60.

Wanna learn more about modern dairy technology? Check out this piece on how robots are used on one Wayne County, Ohio dairy farm!