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Barb Gard the Awareness Coordinator for Clark County Farm Bureau, talks to Marshall Rotarians about ''Ag in the Classroom.'' Photo by John Lotz
Rotarians learn about Ag in the Classroom, a program benefitting students throughout Clark County  Share
Last Tuesday, Marshall Rotarians were treated to a special presentation by Barb Gard, the Ag Awareness Coordinator for Clark County Farm Bureau. Specifically, her presentation focused on AITC (Ag in the Classroom), a program founded in 1981 that expanded to include Illinois in 2005. According to a fact sheet distributed by Gard, the Illinois program has proven to be a tremendous success, reaching nearly 500,000 students in grades K-12 in 2008. And while the Clark County program was initially launched in Marshall schools only, it now reaches schools across the county, including the Martinsville and Casey-Westfield districts as well. Among the interesting things students learn about in AITC are the fact that one in five jobs in Illinois is in the Ag industry; that there are nearly one million farm and farm-related jobs in the state of Illinois; that Illinois is the #1 pumpkin producer in the entire world; and that it consistently ranks among the top three producers nationwide in corn and soybean production. In addition to Gard's presentation, Rotary President Jeff Murphy announced that the Club would be honoring their annual tradition and distributing wreaths at the Marshall Cemetery on December 2, while the annual Rotary Club Christmas Party will be held on the 8th. And lastly, Rotary members praised their Interact counterparts for helping with Family Reading Night at the First Christian Church last week. Interact is the Rotary's service club for young people, ages 14 to 18, and Marshall's Interact Club is widely recognized as one of the best, most active groups in the District. For more information about Rotary and/or Interact, contact Jeff Murphy at 217-826-8096 or stop by the next meeting. Marshall's Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at 7:00 AM (preceded by breakfast from 6-7), with most meetings being held at the Marshall Family Restaurant.
John Lotz is a staff writer for the Marshall Independent.
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