Our mission is to stay true to our agricultural heritage while accommodating our future. We feel education is the answer to providing the understanding needed to protect and secure this valuable resource. Genesee County is a rural, agricultural region equally divided between animal and vegetable production. We are becoming a bedroom county as we are nestled between two larger cities. Most of our residents are two or three generations removed from the farm and do not recognize the ancillary benefits from the agriculture in their backyards.

Our vision included a classroom on wheels that would be a recognizable force in agricultural education. Through this agricultural platform of The Cruisin' Classroom: "Grow and Tell: Get the Dirt on Agriculture" we feature hands-on learning activities that provide a "WOW" factor needed to demonstrate the importance of agriculture in everyone's life.

With budget reductions being a stark reality in school districts and other businesses, this project will be able to provide an agricultural program on site at all of our 13 school districts and other community affairs. This effort showcases the strength and partnership of our agencies working in unison to provide this method of educational opportunity to enhance core curricula. It will also help the teachers provide research based material relevant to the subject at hand.

As we educate, it is our goal to "plant the seeds" for other who to help us in this mission.  Cows and Crops is not just a cute description of our county but the economic bedrock of its past, present and future.  

- Barbara Sturm, Genesee County Cooperative Extension