MoKan takes part in Ag Day event.

The MoKan Chapter of NAMA took part in teaching more than 600 kids from across the Kansas City Metro that food doesn't come from the grocery store. They learned the origin of everything from crust to cheese to tomato sauce at an agricultural pizza party.

On Tuesday, March 27, the students and a number of educators got the hands-on lesson as part of the 2007 bi-state observance of National Agriculture Day (Ag Day) at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs, Kan.

They began by studying six stations focused on each ingredient--dairy, meat, vegetables, wheat, etc. After the students learned about the ingredients that go into making the food they eat, they gathered to eat pizza and ice cream. This celebration concluded with magician Rex Getz's "Magical World of Agriculture" presentation.

"Pizza is one of the few foods that combine all four segments of our state's agriculture including grain, vegetables, meat and dairy products," John Schlageck, Ag Day spokesperson said.

The Kansas/Missouri Ag Day Pizza Party, held in conjunction with National Ag Day is an annual celebration of the many men and women who provide Americans and others worldwide with food, fiber and fuel. While promoting unity in the food and agricultural community, National Ag Day provides an opportunity for the non-farm public to learn more about agriculture and its vital role in their lives.

"This ag program helps educate millions of consumers each year by sharing how agriculture provides almost everything we eat, wear use and even fuel our vehicles with," Schlageck said.

Five schools consisting of 15 classes and teachers and 321 students attended this year's Ag Day event from Kansas. Three schools, 13 classes and teachers and 285 students attended from Missouri.

A team of nearly 30 agribusiness professionals from both Kansas and Missouri helped plan and orchestrate this yearly event. They planned the day's logistics and raised the funds necessary to host this pizza party.

Kansas/Missouri Ag Day Pizza Party sponsors include: Agriculture Hall of Fame, Douglas County Farm Bureau, John Deere Agricultural Marketing Center, Johnson County Farm Bureau, Kansas Soybean Commission, Kansas Beef Council, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Wheat Commission, Leavenworth County Farm Bureau, Midwest Dairy Council, Missouri Beef Industry, Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri/Kansas National Agri-Marketing Association, Missouri Pork Producers Association, Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Vegetable Growers Association and Wyandotte County Farm Bureau.