P L E N T Y SUMMER 2019 Plenty Summer 2019-joomag copy | Page 39

Are you smarter than a third grader about agriculture? If you live in Montgomery County...maybe not! Beginning in 2015, elementary public school students have been learning about the im- portance of agriculture in their lives and in their county. Recognizing the value of agricul- tural awareness for youth, the County Council, Montgomery County Public Schools, the Of- fice of Agriculture, the County Farm Bureau, and Montgomery Countryside Alliance collabo- rated to engage an Agriculture Mobile Science Lab exclusively in Montgomery County. The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation’s (MAEF) Ag Products Mobile Science Lab visits elementary schools in the County with a trained educator and hands-on science based lessons. The students learn about agriculture’s presence and impor- tance in their lives. The lessons also reinforce the core subjects the students are learning in their classrooms. In addition to funding from the Office of Agriculture, 60% of the cost of operating the mobile sci- ence lab program is underwritten by revenues generated by the Maryland Ag Tag license plate. Additional information about the Mobile Science Lab programs or other educational outreach programs can be found by con- tacting the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc., at [email protected], or calling 410-939-9030, or visiting www.maefonline.com. Best wishes to everyone for a bountiful growing season and life-long engagement with agriculture in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve. You too can be as smart as a third grader! Everyone is encouraged to purchase an “Ag Tag” from the Motor Vehicle Administration. Your modest $20 investment will con- tinue to pay dividends for science education for our children for the life of the license plate. Visit: www.agtagmd.com to apply for the plate and learn more about how the funds are used! PLENTY I SUMMER GROWING 2019 39