Chamber

Ag in the Bag

Co-Chairpersons:
Lynn Simmons, South Plains Electric Cooperative
Tanya Bishop, Capital Farm Credit

Ag in the Bag is a program of the Agriculture Committee of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. A subcommittee of dedicated volunteers began this program 11 years ago when a need was expressed for agricultural education programs for elementary school-age students.

Originally, Ag in the Bag was held in conjunction with the Farmer-Stockman Show, an annual event held in October showcasing farming and ranching. When the Farmer-Stockman Show folded in 2002, the event was moved to the South Plains Fairgrounds in one of the livestock pavilions.

Then, as the program continued to grow, it caught the eye of leaders in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University, and they wanted to make Ag in the Bag a part of their annual “Ag Awareness Week.” So the event moved once again to the Livestock Arena at Texas Tech, where it remains today.

The committee dubbed the event “Ag in the Bag” because the participants are provided with lunch and are taught how each component of that lunch relates back to agriculture. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m. with snack breaks included in addition to the lunch.

Throughout the day, participants visit various stations and learn about agriculture, including cotton, corn, peanuts, wheat, sorghum, food science, beef, water, and the Mobile Dairy Classroom. The curriculum primarily targets fourth-grade students, but we have had several third- and fifth-grade classes as well. All presenters are local Chamber members, combining resources from state agencies, Texas Tech, commodity groups and others. The volunteer committee includes all these plus a local electric cooperative, farm credit banks, and other member businesses.

This program has gained remarkable popularity over the years. In 2000, about 100 students visited four stations, learning about different aspects of agriculture. In 2010, almost 1,400 students and teachers from schools in Lubbock and the surrounding area attended over the three-day period in October.

Ag in the Bag brings together a large group of Chamber members with a common interest in educating our children about the importance of agriculture, which is a billion-dollar industry in Lubbock and the South Plains region. This alone makes the economic impact of our program tremendous because we are infusing this knowledge in our future community leaders. Other partners include Texas AgriLife Extension, Texas Farm Bureau and numerous commodity groups and various other Chamber members who generously support this program through sponsorships.

Our program is especially unique because we have the opportunity to reach many who have little or no agricultural background, since about 75% of the participants are from the Lubbock Independent School District. We also provide teachers with information packets and binders so they can continue their agricultural education efforts in their classrooms.

Here's what people are saying about Ag in the Bag:

• "Thank you so much for the chance for my kids to see the "real deal". Please keep the program going!" - Teacher, LISD's Wheelock Elementary
• "Hunter LOVED Ag in the Bag!  He went on and on about “Texas Agriculture” and mentioned multiple times that they got to EAT everything! I was just sick that I didn’t get to go with him – work got in the way – but you all did a bang up job!  Hunter is a hard one to impress…" - Mom of Hunter, 4th Grade, Lubbock Cooper-North Elementary
• "As a homeschool mom/teacher, my family has only been able to attend the event two times, but we ALL learned something from each visit. I no longer have any students young enough to attend, but will definitely recommend the program to other homeschool families!" - D. Meredith 

We're in the news!
"Taking Farm Life to Texas Schools" - Electric Co-op Today, December 9, 2010

"The Agriculturist" Magazine - Fall 2010 (page 7)