Nearly 10,000 agriculture books have been donated to Wyoming elementary schools through the 17-year span of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Ag Books for Kids” program.  Contests are held each year associated with the book of the year to encourage students to learn even more about agriculture. In 2021 county Farm Bureau Federations across the state donated 664 “Better Together…Digging It with Dairy & Beef, Building Healthy Bodies & Brains!” books by Rianna and Sheridan Chaney to Wyoming elementary schools as part of the WyFB YF&R Committee “Ag Books for Kids” program.  The students then had the opportunity to participate in a contest to show what they learned about agriculture.  The contests included:  Coloring Contest for kindergarten and first grade; Poster Contest for second and third graders; and a Marketing Ad Contest for fourth and fifth graders. According to Raenell Taylor, WyFB YF&R Promotions Sub Committee Chair, educating elementary students about agriculture is key to our future in agriculture. “Even in an agriculture state like Wyoming we have a lot of students far removed from agriculture,” Taylor explained.  “We always look forward to sharing our agriculture story with elementary students because they are our future.” “These contests are a great way for the students to apply what they are learning from reading the “Ag Books for Kids” book of the year,” she concluded. 2021 Contest Winners Students from across Wyoming were recently recognized for their participation in the 2021 WyFB “Ag Books for Kids” contests.  We appreciate all the teachers and students who participated in the contests.  We would also like to thank the county Farm Bureau Federations and YF&R Committee volunteers. The state winners in each of the three contests received a $50 gift card from the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and an agriculture book titled “Better Together…Digging It with Dairy & Beef, Building Healthy Bodies & Brains!”  The state runner-ups in each of the contests received a $25 gift card and an agriculture book. Coloring Contest Gianna Pavone, an outgoing first grader at Lusk Elementary in Niobrara County, was the state winner of the coloring contest.  Audrey, of Lincoln County, was the state runner-up.  She completed first grade with Mrs. Harris at Afton Elementary. Gianna Pavone Poster Contest Garret Jolley, of Park County, won the state poster contest.  The state runner-up was Violet Peterson of Park County. Garret Jolley Marketing Ad Contest Lusk Elementary 5th grader Veltie Mendoza won the marketing ad contest.  Ann Trinh, of Park County, was the state runner-up. Veltie Mendoza In its seventeenth year, the “Ag Books for Kids” program is a project of the WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Committee.  Throughout the years, 9,465 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 contributes 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.  Visit www.wyfb.org.