Congratulations to Carrie Smith’s third-grade class for winning the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s First Peas to the Table Contest.  The third graders from Cason Lane Academy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee will soon be receiving their grand prize– a visit from Miss America 2016, Betty Cantrell.

Miss Cantrell joined the Foundation in launching the First Peas to the Table Contest back in February.  The national competition encourages children in kindergarten through fifth grades to plant, raise and harvest peas.

Student teams competed to grow the greatest amount of peas (measured in cups) using no more than 20 pea seeds during the official contest period, March 1 – May 16. Smith’s class harvested 2 cups of peas, as did Sophie Walsky’s Elbert County 4-H Cloverbuds in Elberton, Georgia. The tie between the two teams was broken with a random drawing, after which the Tennessee school was declared the winner.

Thirty-one schools submitted pea measurements, although even more schools participated. Some schools’ peas were not ready to harvest at the end of the contest.

“Getting their hands dirty is the best way for children to learn! We are excited that through this contest, we were able to provide a fun, hands-on learning opportunity for students across the country,” said Julie Tesch, executive director of the Foundation said.  “I’m confident that students will enjoy hearing from Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell about her platform of ‘Healthy Children, Strong America,’ which encourages children to make healthy choices and stay physically active,”

The contests was inspired by the Foundation’s latest Book of the Year.  “First Peas to the Table,” by Susan Grigsby helps students understand the importance of healthy food as well as the science of how plants grow.  The foundation encourages educators to find local farmers and ranchers through the county Farm Bureau office to continue this learning by speaking in the classroom.