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“They get to take a pumpkin home, paint a
pumpkin, and taste pumpkin muffins so that they see the pumpkins are good
for more than decorations.”
Frank Hicks
UK Extention Agent for Ag. and Natural Resources in Clark Co.
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By Aimee D. Heald
WINCHESTER, Ky. (Oct. 15, 2003) – Kindergarten and first-graders in Clark
County got to take some time out of their normal classroom routine to learn
about agriculture at the sixth annual Pumpkin Festival held recently at the
Clark County Fairgrounds during National 4-H Week.
The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, along with the Kentucky
Department of Agriculture and the local Farm Bureau came together to showcase
farm products and practices.
“There are several things we want to accomplish with the Pumpkin Festival
activity,” said Frank Hicks, UK Extension agent for agriculture and natural
resources in Clark County. “We wanted to get kids away from school where they
can do some educational activities outside of the classroom.”
Hicks said many of the students do not come from an agriculture background and
may not be aware of things like where their food comes from or how to make
sorghum syrup.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture brought its ATV safety team to show kids
the dangers of not wearing helmets and informing parents of their whereabouts
while riding the vehicles. The KDA also brought Kentucky Kate, a life-size model
of a Holstein cow with plastic udders so the children could see how it feels to
milk a cow.
A big part of the day was a hayride to a pumpkin patch where students were
allowed to select a pumpkin to take home.
“The pumpkins come from a local farm,” Hicks said. “They get to take a pumpkin
home, paint a pumpkin, and taste pumpkin muffins so that they see the pumpkins
are good for more than decorations.”
They even got to play games with pumpkins. In one game, children threw
hula-hoops around pumpkins. Hicks said the children also watched demonstrations
on how to make sorghum syrup, how to weave baskets and also how to weave wool.
He said any pumpkins the kids don’t take home will not be left behind.
“Last year we had a wagon-load of pumpkins left after this event,” he said. “We
pulled them out in front of the Extension office and sold several that way.”
Writer: Aimee
D. Heald 859-257-4736, ext. 267
Source:
Frank Hicks 859-744-4682
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