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Michigan FARM Science Lab unveiled

The first science lab on wheels in the Midwest focused on agriculture will be traveling to elementary schools across Michigan next year. 

A dream of farmers to take highlight the science of agriculture in a field trip experience is soon coming to students in the form of a 40-foot trailer.

FARM Science Lab Educator Lyndsay Grasman tells Brownfield the Michigan FARM Science Lab is a hybrid of other mobile classrooms used by farm bureaus in Maryland, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.  Similar trailers filled with touch screen technology are also being used in Arkansas and West Virginia.  “We have a small group right now of the lessons that we will be fostering for our pilot phase in the spring.  We’re trying to hit as many commodities groups that we possibly can to showcase the diversity of the commodities here in the state of Michigan.”

She says the lessons are based on Ag in the Classroom materials but are built to meet education requirements. “They actually get to experience these hands on STEM activities.  Some of the activities that I will be demoing this week include specifically is an extraction of life—we actually will be extracting DNA from wheat germ.  We have one called colorful bean where the kids will make a soybean crayon.”

Grasman says the goal is for the trailer to reach at least 10,000 students each school year.

Last year during the Michigan Farm Bureau annual meeting, members started the fundraising efforts for the $700,000 trailer.  Grasman says support more than exceeded expectations when they met their fundraising goal in less than a year.  Farm Bureau members had a first look at their efforts this week during the 97th Annual Michigan Farm Bureau Meeting in Grand Rapids.

AUDIO: Interview with Lyndsay Grasman