Sheila Brandley was hoping for good weather for Friday’s Farm Day at Brock Elliott Elementary School.

The second-grade teacher at the Manteca Unified school site received just that, getting cool weather at the outdoor event.

“I kept on watching the weather report,” she said.

Her prayers were answered as weather not only stayed dry but were in the cool 60s.

“Weather like this is good for farm animals,” said Madison Brown, who helping with the Sierra High Future Farmers of America with the Farm Day petting zoo.

The local FFA chapter brought along two goats, a sheep and a breed heifer for youngsters to see up close.

Farm Day at Brock Elliott was spearheaded by Brandley and Ursula Bishop.

Besides SHS FAA, the event was supported by the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau, the SJC Mosquito and Vector Control District, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and MUSD Nutrition Services, to name a few. Each featured a booth.

“On the field, there were 13 presenters going on, each last 15 minutes,” said Brandley, who noted that kindergarten- through- eighth-grade students rotated around to each of the Farm Day presenters.

“I remembered we had Farm Day (at Brock Elliott) when I was here two years ago,” said Brown, who is a sophomore at SHS.

Brandley and others are hoping to continue this ag tradition.

“It’s been off and on again for the past few years,” Brandley said. “I think it’s important to have Farm Days since we’re still an ag community.”

Evelyn Ponce enjoyed her time helping out.

Like Brown, she’s an SHS FFA sophomore.

Ponce also has a red angus steer project at the school farm. At the recent pre-show — in preparation for month’s San Joaquin County AgFest Junior Livestock Show at the SJC fairgrounds — her steer took third place.

She and Brown are hoping for the younger students attending Farm Day will continue to show interest in agriculture.