TIFTON — For the past six years, more than 43,000 elementary school students from all over South Georgia have received an inside look at how agriculture affects their daily lives at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture.

“Thanks to a recent gift from the Harley Langdale Jr. Foundation, even more young people will receive that kind of insight in days to come,” college officials said in a statement.

“Our investment in ABAC’s Destination Ag program is an investment in our future,” Donnie Warren, executive director of the Harley Langdale Jr. Foundation, said. “The Harley Langdale Jr. Foundation is proud to help support this program in educating children at an early age and exposing them to agriculture and the working forest. We look forward to seeing what the 2022-2023 school year brings.”

Garrett Boone, museum director, said the donation is greatly appreciated and essential in allowing the museum to continue in its commitment to the outreach effort in local schools.

“Destination Ag provides an interactive, educational experience for children and all guests focused on modern agriculture and natural resources,” Boone said. “Through a variety of programs taught by ABAC students, guests connect to where their food, fiber and shelter come from – agriculture.

“We are excited about the opportunities ahead as we connect students to agriculture, cultivate a passion for agriculture and natural resources, and positively impact Georgia’s youth. It has been really amazing to watch this program grow and expand, and we are very thankful for the generosity of the Harley Langdale Jr. Foundation.”

Now entering its seventh year, the Destination Ag program serves pre-K, first, third and fifth graders in 13 school districts including Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift, Turner, Worth and Valdosta City Schools, college officials said.

Besides the visits to the actual museum site which is a part of the ABAC campus in Tifton, the program has included the distribution of 11,448 family forestry books and 6,784 peach books throughout the state of Georgia.

The Traveling Trunks program features information on forestry and peanuts. Twenty of those trunks traverse the state far and wide through the Georgia Farm Bureau districts.

“ABAC students are heavily involved in the teaching portion of Destination Ag with 5,646 instructional hours since 2016,” college officials said. “Third and fifth graders will begin visiting the museum for Destination Ag on Aug. 29 this year. Pre-K and first graders will initiate their visits on Jan. 30, 2023.”