The West Virginia Farm Bureau Book Barn program is placing books about agriculture and farming in every elementary school in Clay County and many neighboring counties. In recent weeks, Roger Hanshaw, a member of the Clay County Farm Bureau and a member of the West Virginia Farm Bureau state board of directors, has been delivering the Book Barns to schools in Clay, Calhoun, and Gilmer Counties.
According to Hanshaw, “The Book Barn program is a great way to teach kids that food doesn’t come from a store, and that someone has to work hard every day to make sure we have food on the table when we sit down to eat. These Book Barns give kids who may not otherwise get to spend time on a farm the chance to learn how crops and animals are actually grown, and what it takes to make sure we get three meals a day.”
Each Book Barn contains approximately 25 books, and all books are listed on the American Farm Bureau “Accurate Agriculture List,” which approves books about farming and agriculture for accuracy and real-world descriptions of life on American farms. The Book Barns are provided by to each school at no cost to the school or the county. West Virginia Farm Bureau works with local county farm bureaus to cover the cost of the barns and the books.
Hanshaw, who is a past West Virginia State FFA President, currently represents Clay County and neighboring counties on the West Virginia Farm Bureau state board of directors, said, “We have an obligation to make sure people have an opportunity to learn about farming in our state and our nation. With fewer and fewer farmers actually growing the food we eat every day, there are fewer opportunities for folks to get first-hand experience with crops and animals. The Book Barn Program is just one way we help make sure kids get the chance to learn about this important part of life in America.”
Big Otter Elementary School has already received its Book Barn, and by the end of the year, each elementary school in Clay County will be receiving a Book Barn at no cost. After the Barns are placed at schools, the books and the Barns become property of the school and can be used in any way that teachers and librarians choose.
Hanshaw, who is also a candidate for the West Virginia House of Delegates, has also made supporting agriculture a priority in other ways. “We’ve attended every county fair and agriculture exhibition in Clay, Calhoun, and Gilmer Counties this year,” Hanshaw said. “I was an FFA member and showed animals at the Clay County Agriculture Youth Fair for years. It was a great experience for me, and I learned a lot in the process. I’ve bought animals and supported 4-H and FFA members in every county this year because I want to make sure other kids get the same valuable experiences I had.”
Hanshaw’s campaign for the House of Delegates has been endorsed two times by the West Virginia Farm Bureau, the state’s oldest and largest agriculture organization, representing over 26,000 people all across West Virginia.
