Read an Accurate Ag Book Week is giving Oklahoma students an opportunity to learn more about agriculture through accurate, agriculture-focused literature, while also connecting classrooms, 4-H clubs and FFA chapters with the state’s rich agricultural heritage. Amy McKinney, vice president of Beef Education for the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association, said the initiative is designed to increase agriculture literacy among students across Oklahoma.
“This initiative is actually a program from Oklahoma’s Ag in the Classroom,” McKinney said. “It is a way for students, elementary school students in particular, to be exposed to Ag stories, Ag literature, to increase Ag literacy across the spectrum of students in the state.”
Read an Accurate Ag Book Week is set for September 8 through 11 this year. During the week, classrooms, 4-H clubs and FFA chapters are encouraged to read an accurate agriculture book with students.
McKinney said the effort provides an opportunity to introduce students to agriculture while highlighting the industry’s importance to Oklahoma. “It just kind of exposes that history to those students,” she said. “It’s such a huge agricultural state.”
Oklahoma Cattle Women Partner With Ag in the Classroom
The Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association partnered with Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom to help make agriculture literature more accessible to students and educators.
McKinney said the collaboration grew out of an existing relationship with Melody Blosser of Ag in the Classroom, who has supported the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s annual kids’ cattle camp. “I have a dear sweet friend, Melody Blosser, who has always been very supportive from Ag in the Classroom with our kids’ cattle camp that we host every spring,” McKinney said. “They are so great about sharing their literature with us that we can share with the kids that come to our camp.”
After McKinney was elected vice president of Beef Education, she wanted to quickly establish programs that would support agriculture education. “I really wanted to hit the ground running and be able to get some programs and projects and initiatives started quickly,” she said.
With the school year approaching, McKinney reached out to Blosser to see how the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association could help support agriculture education efforts. “She told me about the Read an Accurate Ag Book Week and what that initiative was like and how they share that with schools across the state,” McKinney said.
That conversation led to the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association offering free agriculture books to educators and youth organizations. “I said, ‘Well, how about we provide a free ag book to any classroom teacher, 4-H club, or FFA chapter, so that they have at least a book that they can read during that week,’” McKinney said.
McKinney said the goal was to help eliminate one potential barrier for schools and organizations wanting to participate. “They don’t have to go out and buy or purchase,” she said. “I know finances are very tight with public schools.”
The program has also attracted interest from homeschool groups, McKinney said. “We’ve actually had a lot of homeschool groups reach out,” she said. “Hey, how can we get involved? Can we get a free ag book?”
Demand for Free Ag Books Surpasses Expectations
The response to the program has far exceeded the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s original expectations. “Our original l goal was to share 30 books from Oklahoma Cattle Women, just to kind of dip our toes in the water and see is this an initiative that we could be successful with and to share across the state,” McKinney said.
Instead, the organization had received approximately 115 book requests as of the morning of the interview. “We are as of this morning at, I believe, 115 book requests,” she said.
The response prompted the organization to expand its goal from distributing 30 books to reaching every county in Oklahoma. “We adjusted our goal from 30 books to, hey, can we get a book in every county?” McKinney said.
At the time of the interview, 21 counties remained before the organization could reach its new goal. “We have 21 counties to go, and we will have touched at least one county in every single county in the state,” McKinney said.
And now, at the time of publishing this interview, every county has been reached.
McKinney said the speed of the response has been especially encouraging considering the project only began about a week and a half before the interview. “This started a week ago. This started maybe 10 days ago,” she said. “I am astounded.”
While she said she probably should not have been surprised by the response because of the organizations involved, McKinney said the growth of the program has still been remarkable. “We work with such a great group of cattle women, and Ag in the Classroom is super fantastic to work with,” she said. “They’re always so supportive, and they’re always so encouraging for anything that we do as far as ag literacy goes and education.”
“I should not be surprised,” McKinney added, “but as quickly as this has taken off, and as fully bloomed as it has been, it is amazing. It is just truly amazing.”
With about a month remaining before Read an Accurate Ag Book Week, McKinney said she is excited to see how far the program can go. “I cannot wait to see where this ends,” she said. “Because we still have a month to go.”
Teachers Can Request a Free Agriculture Book
Teachers, 4-H leaders and FFA advisors interested in receiving a free agriculture book are encouraged to contact the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association. McKinney said there is not an official deadline, but she recommends contacting her by September 1 to ensure books can be delivered before the September 8 start of Read an Accurate Ag Book Week.
“We haven’t set a deadline,” McKinney said. “I would encourage anyone who is interested in a book to reach out to me by the first of September.” She said that timeline will allow the organization to ship books ahead of the event.
“That will allow me to ship that book to you prior to that week of September 8,” McKinney said. “So that way we can ensure that you have that book and you’re ready to go.” Educators can find more information through the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association website under the events tab, as well as through the organization’s Facebook page.
Bushel of Books Giveaway Encourages Participation
In addition to the free books provided by the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association, participating groups will have an opportunity to win a larger collection of agriculture books through a “Bushel of Books” giveaway sponsored by Ag in the Classroom.
McKinney said groups can participate in Read an Accurate Ag Book Week whether or not they receive a free book from the Oklahoma Cattle Women’s Association. “We’re providing a free book,” she said. “Whether you want to register your classroom, 4-H club or FFA chapter to read during Read an Accurate Ag Book Week or not, that is completely up to you.”
Those who register through Ag in the Classroom will be entered into the giveaway. “That allows those who have registered to be entered to win a bushel of books,” McKinney said.
Following the reading week, McKinney said a drawing will be held for multiple groups. “There’ll be a drawing for two elementary classrooms, two 4-H groups, and I believe two FFA chapters that will win a bushel of books from Ag in the Classroom for participating in that week,” she said.
Teachers and youth leaders can register directly through Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom or contact McKinney for assistance with registration. “I can provide the information that we need, and I will get you registered for that reading week,” McKinney said.
For McKinney, the growing response to the program demonstrates the interest in helping Oklahoma students better understand agriculture and the people, history and industries behind it. “It is truly amazing,” she said. “I cannot wait to see where this ends.”
