Members of the DeWitt Central FFA officer team pose in their costumes before reading to elementary students.
On a cold Thursday in February, Ekstrand Elementary in DeWitt, Iowa, got a visit from a herd of farm animals. However, these were no ordinary animals; as they visited various classrooms, they read stories to students and handed out snacks to teachers.
Affectionately called the “Ekstrand Stampede,” DeWitt Central FFA Chapter officers have a great time dressing up as animals and reading farm-based stories to elementary school students each year during National FFA Week.
Ewe Won’t Believe This
Starting in 2022, Ekstrand Stampede has been a popular event with elementary school students. During the stampede, chapter officers wear costumes resembling farm animals, including an inflatable cow and pig. The costumes help keep the students engaged and get excited about agriculture.
The officers also borrow farming and animal-related books from the school library and make their way around the school, reading to students and talking about agriculture. While the officer team is reading, teachers have the opportunity to grab a snack and drink provided by the chapter. Overall, Ekstrand Stampede is a fun activity for students and teachers.
“During my junior year, I dressed up in a pig costume for the stampede,” says Dewitt Central FFA Chapter President Hannah Grantz, who’s been part of the event for three years and made many great memories. “The kids loved the costume and wanted to get pictures with me and give me a hug or high five. I loved seeing their excitement!”
Ekstrand Stampede isn’t just fun for the students; they also learn a lot about agriculture. “It’s important because it gives us a chance to get the topic of agriculture in the elementary school classrooms,” Grantz adds. “We tell our stories to get them interested and ask questions about FFA and agriculture. So many young students are not familiar with agriculture, and we plan to change that!”
An Udderly Amazing Week
For the DeWitt Central FFA Chapter, Ekstrand Stampede is an important part of National FFA Week. “FFA gives so many opportunities to students all over the United States,” Grantz says. “We get to tell our FFA stories and persuade other people to join.”
With many fun activities offered for students of all ages to learn about and participate in agriculture, the DeWitt Central FFA Chapter looks forward to FFA Week each year. It uses it as an opportunity to promote agriculture to its community.
