GREAT FALLS — Scobey resident and children’s author Tammi Fladager received a $2,500 grant from the Montana Farmers Union to help spread agriculture education.
Tammi will use the money to visit several Kindergarten classrooms across Montana, specifically highlighting the process of farm to table, but also the daily lifestyle of farming and ranching. Her goal is to get kids thinking about becoming ranchers themselves, adding their skillsets to an aging industry.
“I love the joy that little kids have just to plant that seed, I guess, on farming and maybe get them to ask those questions and be aware of their food,” says Fladager. “You know, the average age of the farmers and ranchers now is 55 years old. And so we need to find ways to get other younger people involved.”
Fladager began authoring her picture books just over a year ago, drawing inspiration from her own life.
“There's just so many stories and moments on the ranch that are fun to share and really kind of take the mystery out of agriculture. And that's that's really what I want to do with these books,” she says.
Her works include, “What Do Ranchers Do?”, and “Carol Drives A Tractor”. The material is accessible to young children who might not otherwise think twice about farming. Her books are available online and in select Montana book retailers.
Tammi wishes to extend an invitation to Kindergarten teachers in Montana who are interested in her book tour to get in touch at her website by clicking here.