CHENANGO COUNTY - New York Agriculture in the Classroom coordinated with Chenango County Cornell Cooperative Extension for the 20th annual New York Agricultural Literacy Week, which was held from March 17 to 21, 2025.

Community members around the county visited classrooms to read “The Pie That Molly Grew” to elementary students. The book is told through the lens of a young girl who plants a pumpkin seed and carefully watches its lifecycle. She celebrates harvest time with her family by enjoying a pumpkin pie.

In Chenango County, books and supplies to complete sticker growing charts were delivered to Otselic Valley, Greene, Sherburne-Earlville, Unadilla Valley, Oxford Academy, and Norwich City Schools.

CCE Chenango 4-H Agriculture Literacy Week Coordinator Kristi Gorrell was essential to the program’s success, reading, planting pumpkin seeds, and making “pumpkin pie in a bag” with over 30 classrooms as part of the Chenango County 4-H Agriculture in the Classroom program. 4-H Agriculture Educator Victoria Ryan also welcomed volunteer readers to Oxford Academy, where she led similar activities.

With the completion of the program, each school district received a donated copy of the book to add to its library. In total, over 1,500 youth engaged in this Ag Literacy Week initiative in Chenango County alone.

Agricultural literacy is understanding and being able to communicate the source and value of agriculture and how it affects our daily lives. Over 20 percent of our nation’s workforce is in some way involved in food processing, marketing, distribution, and sales – and all of us eat. New York Agriculture in the Classroom envisions a day when all students have the opportunity to understand the economic, social, historical, and scientific significance of agriculture to our society; explore food system career opportunities; and recognize the connection between agricultural production and the daily need for food and fiber products.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County would like to thank local supporter Deb Dushko and the local Chenango County Farm Bureau for providing funds to secure books for each of our participating school districts. We would also like to thank our volunteer readers who donated their time reading to students across the county. We appreciate their partnerships and dedication to the agricultural industry.

More information about Agricultural Literacy Week can be found by visiting the New York Agriculture in the Classroom website at www.agclassroom.org/ny. Any questions about the program may also be directed to the Chenango County Agriculture Literacy Week Coordinator, Kristi Gorrell, by email at Kg499@cornell.edu or by phone at 1-607-334-5841 ext.1112.

To see even more exciting programs and opportunities, be sure to like and follow Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County and Chenango County 4-H on Facebook!

-Information provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension