TIFTON — Residents of Tifton were given the chance to explore the importance of agriculture and natural resources through ABAC’s Destination Ag Day this past Saturday.

The third annual run of the program invited community members of all ages to stop by the Georgia Museum of Agriculture Sept. 21 and learn about the role agriculture plays in our daily lives and the value of our natural resources to that industry and our world.

Family-focused and kid-friendly, the event encouraged the younger members of the community to get hands-on with these environmentally oriented lessons through a variety of interactive activities, such as arts and crafts, demonstrations of numerous natural cycles like the water cycle and decomposition, and up close meet-and-greets with farm animals and native Georgian species.

“Destination Ag Day is more than just an educational event on agriculture,” said Greg Losada, agriculture and natural resources supervisor for the Georgia Museum of Agriculture. “It’s a joyful celebration of how crucial agriculture and natural resources are to each of us, every single day.”

The program saw appearances from local agriculturally-minded businesses and organizations such as the Georgia Farm Bureau and the Longleaf Alliance, and other activities were made available to patrons like face painting and a playground area.

This annual event serves as a branch of Destination Ag’s larger program, which since 2016 has worked to increase awareness of the value of agriculture and natural resources among elementary-aged children through programs like on-site field trips, school outreach initiatives, regional festivals, and the Traveling Trunks program, a partnership with the GA Farm Bureau that provides educational material on agricultural topics like forestry, poultry, and peanuts.