2021 Grant Recipient $300:  Rita Yager Memorial Ag Grant Fund

Submitted by: Marlene Hedrick Fudge, Rush County Farm Bureau Inc. Ag In Classroom Volunteer

The objective of the book “Sunflower House” was to raise awareness of the many uses for sunflowers besides just a pretty flower to look at. We explained in our lessons how sunflower oil can be used in cooking, parts of the sunflower can be used to make shampoos and lip balm. The sunflower is used in medicine and helps prevent heart disease. The seed contains Vitamins A, B, Protein, Iron, Calcium and Nitrogen. Vitamin E helps improve Brain health. The Petals can be boiled for tea to drink. The fiber from the stalks can be used to make paper. The seeds are also snacks for birds, animals and humans. Each school received the book “Sunflower House” for their library and each 2nd grade class received the book for their class library. This book was also donated the Rushville Library.

We think we met this objective as the students were given chocolate covered sunflower seeds and also sunflower butter filled pretzels. One student sent her teacher a photo this fall, showing the flower that grew from the seeds she received and planted in the spring. We will take sunflower seeds to the classes next spring. If we gave the seeds to the students, we were afraid the seeds would be lost. We had each class write their name on a petal and make a sunflower for their class.