Home > Resources > Agricultural Education

Agricultural Education Program Resources

The IAFE is working closely with these organizations that are providing innovative resources for your fair's agricultural education programs. Click on the link for each for more details.

The soybean checkoff, through the United Soybean Board (USB), invites county, state and regional fairs to apply for a reimbursement program aimed at educating fairgoers about soy-based products and the farmers who grow them.

The checkoff will reimburse selected fairs for using soy biodiesel and soy-based products, which help support U.S. agriculture and provide a green alternative to petroleum-based products. Get more information about soy-based products at the USB's consumer soy products guide, available online at: http://www.unitedsoybean.org/resources/tools/soy-products-guide/. Please note this is a reimbursement program and not a grant program. Dollars are awarded based on actual cost and not distributed as lump-sum payments.

To apply for this program, complete and return the attached application to Laura Schafer at by February 6, 2012. The USB Communications Committee will evaluate the applications and announce participants by March 15, 2012.

Questions? Contact Laura Schafer directly at or 888.235.4332. Click here for more information, here for the program rules, and here to apply.

Growums provides a unique and exciting option with specially-themed garden kits for kids that combine learning and fun with a unique and exciting online educational experience to grow vegetables and herbs from seed to harvest; all with a little help from an animated cast of herb and vegetable characters at www.growums.com. The characters enhance the entire gardening experience with a fun and entertaining approach that gets kids into the garden and on the path to healthy eating. Kids can choose from six fun kits including Herb Garden, Pizza Garden, Salad Garden, Stir-fry Garden, Taco Garden and Ratatouille Garden to grow a real garden with virtual world fun. Each garden kit features unique, magical coco or peat pellets that make planting and growing practically foolproof. A portion of the sales of Growums kits will be donated to the IAFE for education and outreach programs.

Click here to download exciting information about using Growums in conjunction with your local school for their fundraiser! The "Blue Ribbon Experience" is a win-win for the entire community!

This document gives an overview of how some fairs used the Growums kits at their events.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture's My American Farm is a free website designed to teach agricultural literacy to consumers and the public in a fun and innovative way. The site features several interactive games, activities, and educator resources to teach elementary students (and their parents) where food comes from and how those products get from the farm to their dinner plate. The games can be easily implemented into a kiosk format to engage attendees at various venues such as fairs, rodeos, and expositions. All the download resources are free. We invite you to take a trip to the "farm" to see what the site has to offer you!