Pine Bluffs Post - Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908

Students from Albin Elementary's 4th-6th classes got some fresh air last Wednesday as they took a field trip to Lerwick Farm in Albin as part of the Wyoming Stewardship Program which is part of the Agriculture in the Classroom program.

Students were treated to lunch and then given a tour of the farm by owners Michael and Diane Lerwick. The students got to participate in several activities like milking cows, seeing how an ultrasound exam was performed on a cow, how to do math involved with feeding operations, animal husbandry, animal care and even getting a chance to interact with some of the animals.

Judging by the reactions of the students, not only was the field trip informative and educational, but it was a lot of fun as well.

"I loved this activity," said 5th-grader Savannah Kirkbride. "I learned lots about agriculture and stewardship. We have been doing activities in class and this deepened my understanding on these topics."

Sixth-grader Jesus Lozano loved the hands-on experience.

"What I loved about this was when I got to milk a cow."

"My favorite thing was getting to see the animals and my friends and how they lived life together," said fourth-grader Kinzley Nusbaum.

"It was our pleasure to provide the opportunity to show the kids how we are responsible in providing safe food to put on their plate and show them some of the challenges we face in modern day agriculture," said Michael Lerwick. "Just seeing some of their faces light up when they got to pet a calf, the kids seemed to really enjoy it."

Dawnna Merryfield

Dr. Amy Berry shows students how to do an ultrasound exam on a pregnant cow.

Albin Elementary teacher Tad Romsa added, "Stewardship and sustainability are concepts that ranchers and farmers have embraced forever. By the year 2050, we will need to feed double our current population. This field trip, and others like it, have been scheduled in order to help our young people understand those concepts as well as the importance of agriculture in Wyoming, the USA, and the World."

Overall, the trip was a way to give the students a real world perspective on everyday life on a ranch.

"There are agricultural producers out there every day, no matter if the wind is blowing 100 mph or if it's snowing, rainy or sunny, there are people who are taking care of their livestock and crops, and they care about the end product," said Jessie Dafoe, Executive Director of Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom. "Making that connection from just learning about it, to seeing and experiencing it firsthand, was beyond incredible for the students."