STEM and Inquiry in Agriculture
Fun, hands-on activities to get students thinking and problem solving by carrying out STEM and inquiry challenges with connections to agriculture.
March at the Market: Gardening and Farmers Market Resources
Spring has officially sprung and farmers all over Illinois are gearing up for the 2024 gardening and farmers market season! This month on the blog, we will help your students warm up with our favorite farmers market, gardening, and specialty crop resources.
Check out these fun Farmers Market facts:
- Illinois ranks 3rd in the U.S. in number of farmers markets in the state.
- There are over 300 farmers markets across the state and over 8,000 across the country!
- Aurora is home to Illinois' oldest farmers market, founded in 1912.
- National Farmers Market week is celebrated the first week of August.
- Saturday is the most popular day of the week for farmers markets.
- The average distance a farmer travels to get to a farmers market is 61 miles.
Read more about Farmers Markets
Read more about Farmers Markets in Illinois with our non-fiction text resources. Check out our Ag Mag (4-8 grade), new interactive online version of the Ag Mag, Facts for Little Readers (K-1) and Ag-Venture Worksheet!
Lessons about Farmers Markets
Farmers markets are a fun way for all of us to meet and thank the people who grow our food! Check out a few of our favorite farmers market lessons to get students excited about visiting their local market.
Find a Farmers Market Near You
Use this link from the Illinois Farmers Market Association to find a market near you!
Lessons about Specialty Crops
Even if you don't have a market near you, spring is a great time to learn more about garden crops! We have a variety of great specialty crop lessons, from germination to plant parts.
These are a few of our favorite... books!
Need More Spring?
Looking for more spring-themed lessons from IL Ag in the Classroom? Check them out on our blog post!
Everything Earth Day: Earth Day & Sustainability Resources
As the weather warms into spring, many teachers and students are antsy to start getting back outside during the school day. Over 95% of primary and secondary schools across the country do just that on April 22nd each year - Earth Day! This month on the blog, we will highlight our favorite Earth Day and Sustainability activities that you can use to help you celebrate.
Illinois History and Agriculture
In between Valentine's Day celebrations and longing for spring, we often dedicate time in February to learning about Illinois History and celebrating Illinois' important contributions to our country and its agriculture. In this month's blog, we will highlight some of our favorite Illinois lessons, from everyone's favorite 16th U.S. President to the history and scale of our booming agriculture industry.