McRae-Helena, GA—(WGXA)—Brandon Spires, a Telfair County fifth grader, knows what he wants to do when he grows up.
“That’s my dream job,” Brandon says of farming. “My dad wanted to do it and I want to do it.”
That’s one of the reasons Brandon, along with his 700 peers, gets excited when Farm Day comes around each May at Telfair County Elementary School.
Telfair Elementary Principal Anthony McIver, a Telfair County native who has worked as an educator in his hometown school district for more than 48 years, takes pride in the school’s Farm Day tradition.
“Farm Day is a program that we have been doing for over 20 years where we let our students see what happens on the farms in Georgia,” McIver notes.
And bringing those lessons to life is exactly what Farm Day accomplishes.
Locals from the ag industry and community visit the Telfair County Elementary School campus each year with some interactive demonstrations that make learning about ag careers both fun and educational.
“I think that our school system does a very good job of educating the entire student, not just the A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s,” says Shelly Schlentz, a fourth-grade teacher at Telfair County Elementary School who plans to retire at the end of this year after 27 years of teaching.
Ever since Schlentz started her career, Farm Day has always been part of the curriculum. Schlentz points out combining hands-on learning with fun serves a much bigger purpose.
“This day gives our students the opportunity to see careers that they can use here in Telfair County and agriculture is a big part of this rural area,” Schlentz says.
Hear Schlentz reflect on a humorous Farm Day memory when she first started teaching- and find out a neat fact about her meeting Principal McIver long before she started working as a teacher. Please see video below:
Though Farm Day happens at the elementary school, it involves the entire school system. Students from all grade levels have opportunities to be a part of it.
For some students, such as Graham Spiers, it’s a full-circle journey. He attended this year's Farm Day with a poultry display for the children.
Speirs is a senior and president of the Telfair County High School FFA this year.
Speirs grew up in Telfair County—and he attended Farm Day events during his years at Telfair County Elementary School.
“My process, I would say, with agriculture and poultry, specifically, started when I was eight years old,” Spiers recalls. “I purchased five little chicks for five dollars. And from there, chicken math just kind of spirals out of control to the point to where I have a flock of almost 40 at the house now.”
Spiers says he realizes the value Farm Day brings to students, especially now that he’s about to graduate high school.
“Farm Day really helps us to connect with these students and let them see what our community does, what our farmers are doing,” Speirs says.
Farm Bureau agrees and that is why it is the longest running event of it’s kind co-sponsored by the agency.
“They’re getting educated. They’re getting a day out of the classroom, and they’re having fun, but they’re being able to learn why they’re having fun,” says Telfair County Farm Bureau President Neal Stanley.
While Farm Day focuses on agriculture, it’s also about educating young minds about the role of law enforcement and first responders.
Telfair County Sheriff Sim Davidson says it offers students the chance to understand the role of officers and forge a bond with them.
“They learn more about the job that we do and that we’re here to serve them and keep them safe and to help those in need,” Davidson says.
To see our full “On the Farm” report on Telfair County Elementary School’s Farm Day, please see our video below: