Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom Encourages Ag Literacy
In partnership with: Colorado Department of Agriculture
Agriculture is becoming more visible and accessible to students each year thanks to programs like Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (CAITC). The nonprofit provides free resources for pre-K through 12th grade classrooms, connecting students to food, fiber and natural resources through stories.
“If you were to ask students where their food comes from, most would say the grocery store or McDonald’s,” says Jennifer Scharpe, CAITC executive director. “It’s so important that students understand everything we use daily comes from agriculture or natural resources. The goal of our program is to have informed citizens so they can make better choices in life and be the innovative minds to help solve challenges around our food system in the future.”
Ag in the Classroom consists of several programs like the Colorado Reader, a student activity newspaper, as well as activity books focused on a particular topic, such as cattle or corn. Teachers can sign up for a free subscription and receive classroom sets and an educator guide. Activities like writing prompts or hands-on experiments complement the books. The resources tie into existing curriculums, helping teachers incorporate agriculture without having to reinvent the wheel.
“Students sometimes struggle with skills like writing,” Scharpe says. “But if you’re writing about the path of a Colorado peach, that’s a lot more interesting and engaging.”
See more: Colorado Programs Teach the State’s Youth About Agriculture
Seeds of a Story
A relatively recent addition to the program is the Literacy Project. Each year, a new featured topic and book are chosen, then kits – which include the book, educational resources and supplies for hands-on projects – are distributed.
In 2024, the chosen book was Seed, Sprout, Spice! All About Pueblo Chiles. After talking through the idea with Scharpe, family members McCall Knecht, Rachel Allnutt and Sierra Linke worked together to write, illustrate and publish the book.
“We all grew up just outside of Granby on a ranch that our great-great-grandparents homesteaded,” Knecht says. “Sharing about where food comes from and accurately depicting farming and ranching is something we all do on a daily basis. When the opportunity came to share a Colorado Proud vegetable in such an impactful way, how could we say no?”
The Literacy Project kit for Seed, Sprout, Spice! reached 1,130 classes and 23,300 students.
“We sourced about 950 pounds of frozen Pueblo chiles from local growers to send to classes,” Scharpe says. “And Pueblo chile seeds so students could grow their own. We’ve had teachers tell us that students still have their plants from last year.”
The hands-on activity for the 2025 book, Cattle, Corn, and Courage – The Story of Dr. John Matsushima by Rachel Gabel, included the book, a short video from 103-year-old John Matsushima, educational resources, a virtual field trip and more.
The Literacy Project, as well as all CAITC programs, emphasize the importance of starting agricultural literacy young.
“We are all connected to agriculture,” Linke says. “We have a responsibility to understand where our food comes from. What better way than to integrate it into the classroom where students are learning? These young people will be the future leaders of our state.”