‘Cows can swim’ | Kittitas Co. third graders learn new facts at agricultural field day

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — More than 100 third graders from across Kittitas County headed to the fairgrounds Tuesday for the 21st annual Elementary Agriculture Appreciation Day.

Mark Crowley with the Kittitas County Conservation District — which has run the event since 2017 — said it’s geared toward making sure kids who may not have had much experience with agriculture have a chance to learn about it first-hand.

Crowley said despite the heavy emphasis placed on agriculture in the rural county, kids overall are growing up with less exposure to the way food gets from farm to table. He said the problem has become more evident in recent years, as kids from more urban areas move into the valley.

“Kids don’t know where their food comes from,” Crowley said. “They don’t equate a cow in the field with the burger they get at McDonald’s.”

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