Ag in the Classroom Sets New Record - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

For more than 30 years farmers, both young and old, have been attending the KFYR Radio Agri International.

But this year nearly 1400 attendees are under the age of 10.

Ag Reporter Sarah Gustin explains.

The Agri International is all about farming and education.

(Brandon Grossman / 4th Grader) "My Favorite food is bacon."

For nearly 20 years the this Ag show has been the home to the Ag in the Classroom.

But, never in history have so many kids come from so far to learn about agriculture.

(Jackie Buckley / Morton Co. Extension Agent) "It's grown to at least 100 miles or more, our farthest school away this year is Mott-Regent, New England school system. We go north to Washburn, east of Gackle-Streeter, southeast of Gackle-Streeter, so it's quite a large area.

Buckley says for years they've expected between 5 and 6 hundred kids.

But, she's excited the lesson of agriculture is spreading into so many minds across the state.

(Jackie Buckley / Morton Co. Extension Agent) "We have 1375 kids registered. That's about 70 teachers. All our shifts are full, except one."

Every six minutes the whistle blows and the students move to a new commodity and a new lesson about farming and ranching begins.

(Dana Pritschet / ND Ag Department) "That's what we seem to get a lot of are kids, like wow, I didn't know that. A lot of shocked faces on them.

(Brandon Grossman / Cattle, how they can make a lot of other products that we need like, medicine and toothpaste.

"We really want kids to understand that agriculture is big business in north Dakota. We can really let them see how big of an impact it does have on what they do on a daily basis." 

The Agri International closes tonight at 7 and is open tomorrow from 9-5 at the Bismarck Civic Center.