October may be National Farm to School Month, but in Alaska’s Interior, waiting until October to celebrate agriculture can mean contending with chilly temperatures and unpredictable weather. At Delta Elementary School, students get their farm-to-school experience a little earlier.
The school hosts its annual Farm Day in September, giving students an opportunity to get up close with farm animals, agricultural equipment, and the people who make agriculture part of everyday life in Delta Junction.
While Delta Junction is considered a rural, agricultural community, many local students have had little exposure to farm life.
“We had ten local farmers and people show up with their animals and tractors,” said Farm Day organizer Heather Stossmeister. “It is so important for students to have a connection to agriculture. Delta Junction is considered an agriculture area, yet many have only a little exposure to farm animals and equipment.”
That connection is becoming increasingly important as fewer young people across the country grow up with firsthand experience of farming, ranching, or animal husbandry.
“This fall hasn’t been the greatest weatherwise for harvesting, so many farmers are out in their fields,” Stossmeister added.
Despite busy harvest schedules, local farmers and families brought an assortment of animals and equipment to the school grounds for an afternoon of hands-on learning.
Students explored the grounds, asked questions of animal owners, petted the animals, and even took a wagon ride around the school.
Bunnies were cuddled, horses had their necks scratched, and puppies were held. At one point, an errant piglet escaped its enclosure, sending students into a merry chase. Pens housed ducks, geese, sheep, and a calf. The Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District also brought a tractor, giving students the opportunity to climb into the cab and experience agricultural equipment firsthand.
Parents and students alike were impressed by the lengths some participants went to in order to attend. Seth Jepsen transported his sheep and a calf down the Tanana River by riverboat for the event.
Marshall Brown and his family added a bit of fun to the day by dressing for the occasion. Marshall came as a fox looking for the henhouse, while Jessica Brown dressed as a Holstein. Joan Sturgis paid homage to the Caterpillar brand.
For Stossmeister, who also leads the school’s STEAM program — science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics — Farm Day is another way to demonstrate how closely agriculture is connected to those fields.
“Science, technology, and engineering all play a vital role in agriculture,” Stossmeister said in a 2025 interview.
The hands-on experience appeared to make an impression on students.
“I have two cats and a dog, and I love seeing all the animals out here,” grinned fifth-grader Lillian Lindsey. “I just want to hold them all.”
For a community surrounded by agriculture, Farm Day provides students with a chance to see that connection firsthand and perhaps inspires the next generation to understand, appreciate, and participate in the agricultural traditions of the Interior.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newspaper keeps you informed and engaged with what matters most. Subscribe today and join our community of readers staying ahead of the curve.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
