2018 Teacher of the Year Awarded

Congr atulations to Becky Carney for being named the 2018 NH Agriculture  in the Classroom Teacher of the Year!  During her 16 year tenure at Seabrook Elementary School, Becky has integrated agriculture in to her technology classroom on a regular basis.  Over the past year, her students learned about the origins of maple syrup, the life cycle of a pea, MyPlate and the history of the New England Clam bake while
increasing their computer literacy.  Students venture into t he garden for "brain breaks" to plant snap peas, build a root view garden bed, forage for native Concord grapes and tap maple trees.  Becky will be honored at the Granite State Association of FFA Convention in April and will be considered for the                              National Excellence in Teaching Award.
Felker Award Contest 

The application process for the Felker Award Contest  is now open! A  completed application which includes a detailed plan for your maple syrup production should be submitted by 1/15/18.  By 4/15/18, a quart of classroom produced maple syrup needs to be delivered to the NH Farm Bureau in Concord.  Entries which qualify as maple syrup through density testing will be part of a public taste testing in May.  The class which produces the  best tasting maple syrup receives $2,000 from the NH Maple Producers Association (NHMPA)! The Felker Award Contest is a fantastic hands-on and engaging project for bringing together all of the educational principles involved in the maple syrup production process. 

If you would like to be matched with a mentor to help with the application and production process, please contact  Bruc e Tre at from the NHMPA.

              contest information                contest application
Maple Resources

TAPPING INTO MAPLE TRADITION
Check out the Tapping Into Maple Tradition resources on our  website.  You will find a number of K-12 lessons for a variety of academic areas along with videos and a poster.  Select the components that will best support your classroom activities.


MAPLE EQUIPMENT GRANTS
New this year, NHAITC is offering 5 competitive maple equipment grants valued at $200 each.  You have a  choice of two options for the grant.  The tapping equipment package includes 10 buckets, 10 covers, 10 taps, a hydrometer, hydrometer cup, a grading kit and the "North American Maple Producers Manual".  Or you can request $200 towards building your own evaporator from either a 55 gallon metal drum or concrete blocks.  Grants are open to any K-12 classroom, but grant recipients must participate in the 2018 Felker Award Contest.  Applications are due 12/15/17 and will be awarded by 12/31/17.  

        grant information           online application          written application


2018 Spring Contest

Show your students' creativity by re-purposing milk and juice cartons from your school cafeteria to either build or enhance your school garden.  Educators can engage students in a hands-on experience creating teachable moments on environmental stewardship, sustainable packaging and healthy living.  The best use of cartons in a school garden gives your school the chance to win one of 14 prizes with a grand prize valued at $5,000.  Presented by Evergreen Packaging with support from KidsGardening.org                 m ore information
CLASSROOM CONNECTION                NHAITC OUT & ABOUT

Discover Christmas Trees
This lesson is composed of six learning activities to teach about the Christmas tree. Science, history, and geography topics are used to teach about the history of the Christmas tree, life cycle of a conifer, types of trees and how they adapt, working on a Christmas tree farm, and the ecology of conifer trees. 
grades K-2         grades 3-5


Bartering Through The Seasons
Students will learn about the seasons, become familiar with the process of wool production, and explore how trade and barter have historically allowed people to satisfy their needs and wants.


Chain of Food                      grades 6-8
Students will explore the path food takes along the Farm-to-Table Continuum. They will begin on the farm and investigate food safety issues during processing, transportation, at restaurants and supermarkets, and finally, in their own homes. Teams will identify how food can become contaminated along the continuum and develop and present strategies for preventing contamination at each step.

Farm & Forest Expo
The Radisson in Manchester
Feb 2nd & 3rd, 2018

2018 School to Farm Days
Merrimack County        5/10/18
Sullivan County            5/16/18
Grafton/Coos Counties  5/24/18
Belknap County            9/18/18
Rockingham/Strafford at UNH
                                  early June
registration links can be found on our website: www.agclassroom.org/nh

Plan ahead: the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference  will be in Portland, Maine!          June 26-29, 2018

CLASSROOM SUPPORT

Resource Library:  check our website or email us for information on books available to borrow.

NHAITC has free seeds available for classroom projects.  They are a year old, but should germinate just fine.  Please email requests to:  nhaitc@nhfarmbureau.org
Connect with us to find the latest news and resources:


SUPPORT
 NHAITC

     Debbi Cox, State Coordinator              nhaitc@nhfarmbureau.org           (603) 224-1934 
     Deb Robie, Grafton County Coordinator                wehunt4@myfairpoint.net