Ag-in-the-Classroom

Established in 1985, New York Agriculture in the Classroom (NYAITC) is a partnership of Cornell University, the NYS Department of Ag & Markets, the NYS Education Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the New York Farm Bureau.  Its mission is to foster awareness, understanding, and appreciation of how we produce food and fiber, what we eat, and how we live, by helping educators, students, and their communities learn about and engage with agriculture and food systems. 

NY Ag Literacy Week

New York Ag-in-the-Classroom and the Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H program invite you to be a reader for the annual Agriculture Literacy Week. Volunteers visit local elementary schools during Ag Literacy Week to read and talk to children about New York's agriculture industry. At the conclusion of the day's activities, the book will be donated to the school library for students and teachers to use throughout the school year. Each year, the books read are donated to school or classroom libraries and books are read by volunteers to thousands of second graders throughout New York State.

Second-grade teachers and volunteers who are interested in participating in NY Ag Literacy Week should call or email Brandy Keenan, CCE Putnam 4-H educator. Visit the New York State Ag in the Classroom website to learn more about statewide activities and to learn about agriculture-themed books that have been featured in other years.

Tomatoes for Neela written by Padma Lakshmi and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal was one of the books read during Agriculture Literacy Week. Lakshmi takes young readers on an intergenerational journey full of delicious flavors and fun food facts that celebrates a family’s treasured recipes and illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal brings this circle of women to life with vivid detail and warmth. Tomatoes for Neela lovingly affirms how we can connect to other cultures and build communities through food.

"Tomatoes for Neela" (English version):

"Tomatoes for Neela" (Spanish version):

Last updated April 29, 2025