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Third graders once again learning firsthand about agriculture in Manteca
Manteca AgVenture
Madison Radesic, who was crowned Teen Miss of the San Joaquin County Horsemen’s Royality, displays a Shetland pony at a previous Manteca AgVenture at the Manteca Unified School Farm. - photo by VINCE REMBULAT

Third-grade students will experience agriculture firsthand during the 20th Manteca AgVenture on Tuesday, Nov.3.

Youth from the Manteca, Ripon, Escalon, and Tracy school districts will learn about bugs, plants, farm animals, tractors, and meet real farmers and ranchers.

The Manteca AgVenture is held at the Manteca Unified School District farm on Airport Way and Louise Avenue from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Twenty years ago, the first Manteca AgVenture was a two-day event held at the district farm. Coordinators were concerned about having 3,000 students during the four-hour event at once.

Prior to this field trip, the Manteca District hosted two primary classes each day to the farm during the month of October. The idea of having all the children on one day was overwhelming.

However, the success of the first year proved that the farm was large enough and the layout of the field trip allowed all the South County students to come on one day.

So far the efforts of all the volunteers who have shared agriculture and its importance have reached more than 60,000 students from Escalon to Tracy.

AgVenture is a free field trip for all 10,000 third graders in San Joaquin County to learn about agriculture and how it affects their daily lives.

State educational standards require third graders to learn about their county and its history.

AgVenture does this by bringing in 300 volunteers to teach and show the students about the history of farming and the diversity of industry. In addition, the students also learn how farmers and ranchers use science, technology, language arts, math, and nutritional standards every day to produce food.

During the school year, there are four field trips held in different areas of the county — the Manteca Unified School Farm, the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, the Lodi Grape Festival grounds, and the Durham Ferry Outdoor Education Center.

AgVenture brings together government, resource agencies, and private organizations to show why agricultural sustainability matters and how each organization contributes.

AgVenture is funded through partnerships with the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, the San Joaquin Ag Commissioner, San Joaquin Farm Bureau, NRCS, San Joaquin Cooperative Extension, the Office of Education, California Women for Agriculture, and various agribusinesses and farmers.