When third graders in Macomb Schools peer into an incubator and watch a duckling peck its way into the world, they’re not just witnessing biology—they’re connecting to the deep agricultural roots of their community. Through the Ag in the Classroom program, coordinated by the McDonough County Farm Bureau in partnership with Macomb Schools, students are discovering where their food comes from, how plants grow, and the vital role farmers play in their daily lives.

Third-grade teachers Amanda Olson and Macy Coker, along with special education teacher Liz Hardisty, see the impact firsthand. Once a month, Gracyn Welsh, the Farm Bureau’s classroom representative, arrives with hands-on lessons that go far beyond textbooks. From planting soybeans and watching them sprout to hatching chicks and ducks, the experiences are unforgettable. “They set the incubator, talk with the kids, and then we hatch,” Olson explains. “If we’re lucky, some will survive. It’s really exciting”.

For many students, the program offers their first encounter with the natural cycles that surround them. “It’s really cool, especially in our farm-driven community,” says Coker. “Some of them have never learned about ducks or chickens or pumpkins or corn. It’s amazing to see how many don’t recognize what’s around us”. The lessons extend beyond the classroom walls. On the playground, when students look across the road at a field of corn and soybeans, they now see more than rows of plants—they see food, fuel, and the foundation of their community.

For children who come from farm families, the lessons are an invitation to shine. “It’s their time to pipe up and feel valued,” Olson says. “They’re proud of their hardworking families and their farms, and you can see it when they get to add to the conversation”.

Hardisty, who supports students in special education, finds the hands-on nature of the program especially powerful. “They’ll plant soybeans and leave them in the classroom to grow for a few months,” she says. “For all students, including mine, to see that happening in real time is really pretty cool”. These concrete experiences give every student—regardless of ability—a chance to connect with learning in meaningful ways.

Third grade is an ideal stage for these lessons. “They’re diving deeper into what they’re learning,” Coker explains. “Not just the basics, but how things fit together and why they matter”. By linking classroom content to the rhythms of agriculture, teachers find students eager to engage, ask questions, and take knowledge home to their families. As one teacher noted, children start telling their parents at the grocery store where bacon really comes from—not the freezer case, but the farm.

The program also prepares students for opportunities ahead. Exposure to agriculture in elementary school creates a natural bridge to Macomb’s strong FFA program at the high school level. “It’s not just farm kids,” Coker emphasizes. “It’s everyone. Ag in the Classroom gives them that perspective early”.

Local businesses also help fuel the effort, sponsoring “bucket lessons”—ready-to-use themed kits that teachers can pull into the classroom when time is short. From pumpkins in the fall to resources on soil, livestock, and more, these kits add variety and depth without adding to already packed teaching schedules.

In the end, Ag in the Classroom is about more than farming. It’s about relevance, curiosity, and pride. It shows students that the ground beneath their feet in McDonough County isn’t just soil—it’s part of a global system that feeds the world. And it helps them see their own community, and their own families, as vital players in that system.

For Olson, Coker, and Hardisty, that’s the true harvest: students who understand not only what they are learning, but why it matters.