Share the Importance of Agriculture with your Students
The Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (CPAC) consists of twenty eight potato growers and shippers that are elected by the one hundred seventy five potato growers of the San Luis valley in Southern Colorado. These potato growers typically produce nearly 2.2 billion lbs. of potatoes annually on sixty thousand acres of irrigated farmland. For perspective, that is sixty thousand football fields of potatoes. These fields provide an annual supply of potatoes to over 18.3 million people. It isn’t easy work. Potato farmers must be part agronomist, conservationist, meteorologist, economist, and most of all optimist. Mother Nature often has the final say in how profitable a potato grower will be despite his very best efforts. CPAC believes that their story and the story of the American farmer needs to be shared. CPAC has carefully partnered with conservation education specialist Judy Lopez to develop this educational curriculum so teachers will be able to tell the story of the American farmer and the San Luis valley potato growers.
Reconnect Youth to Agriculture
Potatoes are the fourth largest crop in the world and have served as a staple for centuries. Potatoes are unique in the plant world in that they produce more calories per unit of land than any other food crop. They are fat and cholesterol free, have more potassium than a banana, and forty-five percent of the RDA of Vitamin C. The proud potato growers of the San Luis valley hope you will be able to use this curriculum as a tool to connect your precious students with our story and their food.
Download the Curriculum for Your Classroom
You can download the complete curriculum here. This includes many different activities for students to make learning about agriculture fun and rewarding. Please contact us with any questions and let us know how we can improve this tool for your use.
