From the Farm to the Classroom: How Agriculture Makes Education Possible

As students get ready to go back to school, there seems there’s a million things to buy and put together. Do you ever stop and wonder where all that “stuff” comes from? Sure, we all know paper is generally made from trees, but what about everything else? From plants to different animals, the classroom is another place that wouldn’t be possible without agriculture!

Each classroom isn’t complete without a lot of different supplies. Pigs and cattle provide chalk, glue, crayons and more!  The hair from numerous animals even supply paintbrushes and the beloved felt boards. Paint itself has cornstarch which is a byproduct of corn. Many musical instruments are held together with glue or leather from goats and cattle, instruments that use bows use horse hair. Have more of an online approach? Many digital screens are created from cattle parts. Even the famous candles we always seem to buy teachers are, you guessed it, byproducts of cattle and agriculture! 

Our clothes are often made from animal byproducts like buttons, and obviously cotton! Makeup comes from plants and animals. Toothpaste comes from cattle and mouthwash from corn. Even our toilet paper is a cattle byproduct! Our hand soap and even hand sanitizer come from products like cattle and corn. Don't forget all the body soaps, shampoos, and even deodorants and perfumes that come from cattle! We certainly appreciate those items after our students leave PE classes! 

And what about those P.E. classes? Tennis rackets, basketballs, footballs, volleyballs are all from cattle! Footballs were originally made from pig bladders, which is why you may still hear them called “pigskins.” Even the sport of basketball was created by a farm kid and the special hoop that allows everyone to “dunk it” was invented by another farm kid that first used a tractor spring in the design.

The actual school building itself wouldn’t stand without the farm! Home school? Your home is still made possible because of animals. Sheetrock, plywood, linoleum, and even floor waxes and cement are from pigs and cattle. Even the bus and cars wouldn’t work without animal byproducts! Tires come from cattle, antifreeze comes from pigs and cattle. Ethanol comes from corn!

The medical and safety items are certainly no exception! Many medications are coated with cellulose microcrystalline, which is a byproduct of corn. Fire hydrants are byproducts of cattle, and the entire medicinal world is full of cattle byproducts! 

So, whether you home school or go to public school, just starting preschool or attending your last year of your doctorate, thank a farmer for your education!