Laramie, Wyo.--Food is the common bond that ties us all to agriculture. Donating accurate agriculture books to Wyoming elementary schools has been the goal of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Ag Books for Kids” program since its inception in 2004. In the last 20 years, 11,575 agriculture books have been donated to Wyoming elementary schools.

In 2024, county Farm Bureau Federations across the state donated 710 “Seed, Soil, Sun” books by Cris Peterson to Wyoming elementary schools. Contests are held in association with the book to encourage students to learn more about agriculture. The contests included a Coloring Contest for kindergarten and first grade; a Poster Contest for second and third grades; and a Marketing Ad Contest for fourth and fifth grades.

“Emphasizing agriculture's importance at a young age brings a positive perspective to a future generation,” said Seth Allen, Niobrara County rancher. Allen serves as the WyFB YF&R Committee Promotions Sub-Committee Chair that organizes the “Ag Books for Kids” program. “The growth and engagement to discuss agriculture amongst the different grades is neat to see.”

2024 Contest Winners

Students from across Wyoming were recently recognized for their participation in the 2024 WyFB “Ag Books for Kids” contests.

County winners were forwarded to their district where three winners were selected. The district winners each received a copy of “Seed, Soil, Sun” and their entries were forwarded to the state contest.  

In addition to the book they received as a district winner, the state winner in each contest received a $50 gift card and the state runner-up in each contest received a $25 gift card.

Coloring Contest

State Winner: Emma Gordon, Niobrara County

  • Grade: 1st
  • Teacher: Britainy Bruegger
  • School: Lusk Elementary

State Runner-Up: Lexi Wheeler, Laramie County

  • Grade: 1st
  • Teacher: Mrs. Stewart
  • School: Pine Bluffs Elementary School

Poster Contest

State Winner: Birlyn Christiansen, Lincoln County

  • Grade: 3rd
  • Teacher: Mrs. Nielsen
  • School: Afton Elementary.

State Runner-Up: Gus Ivory, Sheridan County

  • Grade: 3rd
  • Teacher: Ms. Aksamit
  • School: Story Elementary

Marketing Ad Contest

State Winner: Lillian Mathias, Goshen County

  • Grade: 4th
  • Teacher: Mrs. Gifford
  • School: LaGrange Elementary

 State Runner-Up: Linley Richardson, Park County

  • Grade: 4th
  • Teacher: Mrs. Gill
  • School: Southside Elementary

In its 20th year, the “Ag Books for Kids” program is a project of the WyFB YF&R Committee.  Throughout the years, 11,575 books have been donated to elementary schools by the county Farm Bureau Federations.  The grassroots efforts of the county Farm Bureau Federations, who donate the books and help educate about agriculture, contribute greatly to the program’s success.  The program’s purpose is to build the collection of agriculture reading materials in Wyoming elementary schools and educate children about agriculture and its importance to us all.  

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general agriculture organization. The mission of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is to represent the voices of Wyoming farmers and ranchers through grassroots policy development while focusing on protecting private property rights, strengthening agriculture, and supporting farm and ranch families through advocacy, education, and leadership development.