About the Program
In celebration of agriculture in Nebraska, volunteers throughout the state read an agriculture themed book to elementary students in Nebraska.
Each book is provided by the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation thanks to a donation in memory of Charles and Dorothy Wiechert. Because of this donation farmers, ranchers, FFA chapters, 4-H clubs, and agriculture industry leaders are equipped to read to children in their community and, in turn, donate the book to the classroom or school. The program’s mission is to increase student knowledge about the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.
2018-2019 Book
John Deere That's Who!
By: Tracy Nelson Maurer
Back in the 1830s, who was a young blacksmith from Vermont, about to make his mark on American history? John Deere, that’s who! Who moved to Illinois, where farmers were struggling to plow through the thick, rich soil they called gumbo? Who tinkered and tweaked and tested until he invented a steel plow that sliced into the prairie easy as you please? Long before the first tractor, who changed farming forever? John Deere, that’s who!
How to Participate
Thanks to the overwhelming response of volunteers and interested classrooms, this year’s supply of free Agriculture Reading Hour Books has been spoken for. To purchase the book, visit https://amzn.to/2SdDJSv.
Volunteer readers will arrange a time to read to a classroom of their choice. If you are interested in becoming a reader, sign up at the link below.
By signing up for the program you agree to:
- Read the book, John Deere, That's Who! to a classroom.
- Donate the book to the school library or classroom.
- Submit a photo of your book reading experience.
The book can be picked up at the Nebraska Farm Bureau state office building in Lincoln, at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Kearney, or mailed to you at your convenience.
Past Ag Reading Hour Programs
2017-2018 Book
Before We Eat
By: Pat Brisson
Before we eat illustrates that our food doesn’t just appear in our refrigerator or on our table. This book can be used to introduce elementary classrooms to members of Nebraska’s agricultural community who must work hard every day to produce grains, tend to animals, and transport products. Through a simple poem thanking the people who grow, transport, sell, and prepare our food, readers find out what must happen before food can get to our table.
2016-2017 Book
First Peas to the Table
By: Susan Grigsby
A fun work of fiction in which a girl competes in a classroom garden competition to see who can get the “first peas to the table.” Based on the contest that Thomas Jefferson held with his friends and neighbors every year, this book seamlessly integrates school gardens, history, botany, and seasonal weather themes into one fun-to-read book. Teachers may even consider modeling a classroom science project after the one featured in this book.
