Sid Morrison Agricultural Education Fund

Young people growing up in the Yakima Valley today are surrounded by one of the most diverse and bountiful growing areas in the world, yet many of them have never been given the opportunity to truly experience agriculture first-hand. Through the Sid Morrison Agriculture Education Fund, we provide valuable agricultural education & programming for students; helping the next generation learn about the rich agricultural history of our Valley and inspire them to be part of Yakima Valley’s agricultural industry.

As a new addition to our educational programming, we created a project designed specifically for fourth grade students all about food grown here in Washington State.

Students will learn about food groups and Washington State commodities in order to create their “Perfect Plate”. The student’s “Perfect Plates” will be part of a feature exhibit within the Ag Building; participating students and educators will be given a complimentary Fair admission ticket to come to see their project on display during the annual Fair.

Thanks to the support of the Sid Morrison Agricultural Education Fund 1,100 students from across the Valley participated in this program in 2023. Cost per student $25

For many students, participating in their school’s Fair field trip is their only opportunity to attend the Fair to learn about the importance of agriculture to our Valley.

A full day of learning is planned for the students as they rotated around five different learning stations. Each station provided hands-on activities: make-and-take projects, educational presentations, rocket launches, and getting up close with the farm animals.

In 2023 the Central Washington State Fair held 2 days of learning with 1,200 students from across the Valley participating. 6 bus scholarships in the amount of $3,100 were given to underserved schools – paying for the bus and driver to participate in the Fair Field Trip. Cost per student $25