News Release Distributed 04/18/12
The LSU AgCenter will spotlight Louisiana agriculture in a fun, interactive educational setting during its annual AgMagic event April 23-29 at the Parker Coliseum on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.
AgMagic is designed to give children and adults an enjoyable way to learn how food, clothing, lumber and other products are all part of a complex agricultural system. It also shows them the important connections among agriculture, the environment and their lives.
“Our faculty and staff have been working very hard to bring this exciting educational event for children and families,” said LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson. “Each year we try to make the event more engaging in an effort to help children understand where their food and fiber comes from and how important agriculture is to their daily lives.”
AgMagic will be open to scheduled school groups April 23-27 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. In addition, the public is invited to attend from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day on April 28-29. Admission is free for all of the events.
This year’s AgMagic includes a variety of interactive exhibits that cover plants, animals, wildlife and other topics. They range from demonstrations showing how agronomic crops and vegetables are grown to displays designed to help children learn about forestry, aquatic life and more. Children also will be invited to “walk through the forest” and make leaf prints, animal tracks and insect rubbings. They’ll also get to view butterflies in a butterfly garden, see eggs hatch and handle baby chicks.
A new feature to AgMagic this year will allow visitors to take a walk through the produce section of a “grocery store,” compliments of Rouses supermarkets, to see how fruits and vegetables from the farm wind up on store shelves. Weekend visitors also can enjoy another new activity, the Little BookShelf Storytime section, on Saturday, April 28, which will include storybook readings by members of the Baton Rouge Junior League.
For more information about AgMagic, visit LSUAgCenter.com/AgMagic. For general information about agriculture, food, nutrition, health, 4-H youth development and much more, visit LSUAgCenter.com.
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Contacts:
Frankie Gould
Todd Tarifa
Editor:
Tom Merrill