Sun shining through trees dappled the grass and washed over the bright spring grass as school buses trundled down the road to Fourth Grade Ag Days at Buddy and Brittany Cheff’s place above Kicking Horse Reservoir, south of Ronan.

Put on by the Western Montana Stockmen’s Association, Lake County Conservation District, Northwest Farm Bureau and Natural Resources and Conservation Service, the annual event aims to expose kids to the many facets of agriculture .

With 11 stations for youngsters to visit, it was two days full of learning, listening, fun, and being outside.

Hot Springs FFA kids and Lake County 4-Hers were there to talk about their respective organizations. The FFA members led activities, like a fast-paced game of Duck, Duck Goose that Pablo fourth graders played as they waited for the Ronan youngsters to arrive.

Free-roaming chickens bustled around the barn yard, which is their home until evening when they roost in the chicken house, and appeared to be intrigued with their young visitors.

Area ranchers and farmers presented information, including longtime dairy farmers Greg and Paula Schock, who turned the milking stanchion-room into an informative booth and had a “milking” machine set up outside. The Schocks operate Mission View Dairy in St. Ignatius.

Paul and Sharon Guenzler, ranchers who raise cattle and registered Quarter horses, brought a Quarter horse mare and colt for youth to check out and learn a bit about equines.

One of the presenters, Mark Lalum, a former FFA teacher from Kalispell, introduced kids to different grains and brought his granddaughter to help one day, and his grandson the next. He set up grinders and had whole grains for kids to process. Boxes of cereal were also on hand for youth to try to guess what grain they were made from.

About 350 fourth-graders from Dayton, Polson, Ronan, Pablo, and St. Ignatius came to Ag Days during its two-day run on May 6-7.

The youngsters were served a hamburger lunch with ice-cream bars for dessert.

“Ag Days turned out so well,” said Sjaan Vincent, manager of the Lake County Fairgrounds in Ronan. “Bridget and Buddy just bent over backwards for the event.”

When the buses headed back to school, they were full of happy kids who had learned more about agriculture, one of Lake County’s biggest businesses.

    Two earnest 4-H members staff the 4-H booth during Fourth Grade Ag Days, held last week at Buddy Cheff's ranch. An estimated 350 kids attend the annual event, designed to help youngsters learn where their food comes from. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)
  

    A cheerful group of fourth graders heads out to sample the offerings during the annual Ag Days, held this year at Buddy Cheff's ranch southeast of Ronan. (Berl Tiskus/Leader)