Companion Resources

When a farm family brings their spring crops to a city farmers market, the farmer's daughter befriends the daughter of a neighborhood family doing their weekly shopping. Over the course of a year, the girls explore the bounty of each season. Sweet spring strawberries and crisp, fresh greens make way for corn on the cob, peppers, and a rainbow of tomatoes. Fall brings pumpkin patches and the crunch of apples. The friends part at the final winter market, already looking forward to the sweet red strawberries that will unite them again next spring.

As the sun sets over the fields, a little girl and her father begin the evening milking. The girls gathers the cows—a "Holstein parade"—and guides them to the barn. Father and daughter work side by side, pulling up the grain for feeding, fanning out beds of straw, and hooking up the milkers. In the corner pen, the girl feeds the calves all by herself. Soon they've filled milk can after milk can for the creamery truck that will arrive in the morning. The fresh dairy product isn't just for them—other families will buy their milk, butter, and cheese at stores and farmers markets near and far, connecting the little girl's farm to the world beyond.

Amidst all the buildings, people, and traffic in his neighborhood, Jayden sees nature everywhere: the squirrels scrounging, the cardinals calling, and the dandelions growing. But Mama doesn't believe there's nature in the city. So Jayden sets out to help Mama see what he sees. With the help of his friend Mr. Curtis, Jayden plants the seeds of a community garden and brings together his neighbors—and Mama—to show them the magic of nature in the middle of the city.

Farmall in the Family takes children on a tractor adventure through the last one hundred years—back to when the first International Harvester Farmall tractors were made. Narrated by Casey the farmer and her hardworking tractors Frankie and Fern, this book explains how Farmall tractors revolutionized farming to help farmers grow crops, raise animals, and do chores. Filled with colorful illustrations, Farmall memorabilia, and a cast of cartoon characters, Farmall in the Family will entertain readers as they follow Casey and her family of farmers down memory lane!

Grab your boots, it's time to explore life on a farm! In joyful verse, follow a diverse cast of families as they work together to care for crops and animals on their farms through spring, summer, fall, and winter. Follow farming families as they work and play in boots, all year long. Whether its springtime puddle-splashing, riding at the summer fair, or herding sheep into the barn in winter, there's a type of boot for every kind of weather and activity. Each season brings adorable farm animals, farming equipment, and of course boots in this exploration of farm and country life.

You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan—almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start. Who knows what plants you may choose to grow and who will come to see your new garden? After all, anywhere can be a farm—all it takes is one small seed and someone to plant it.

On a sunny, summer day, a young boy and his father assemble the ingredients for a homemade pizza. From gathering fresh garden herbs to rolling out the dough for a crust to spreading on sauce and cheese, this picture book leads young chefs step-by-step through the process of making a favorite meal.

Farmer Bob is tired of the endless chores on the farm. He and his farmer friends decide to take a vacation and leave their worries and work behind. What will become of the community without the farmers that provide all that they need? One child embarks on a journey to save his town by getting the farmers to return from vacation. This rhyming read-aloud text tells the heartwarming story of a boy that learns he can't live without the hard work of his farmer friends.

Can a quiet Iowa farm boy grow up to change the world? Norman Ernest Borlaug did. Hero for the Hungry is a moving and informative biography of the 20th-century American agriculture scientist whose innovations in crop varieties founded the Green Revolution and fed hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Black ice cream vendor Augustus Jackson (1808-1852) began his life in Philadelphia, where slavery was outlawed. After cooking regularly for his family, Augustus decided at age 12 to support them further, using his kitchen know-how to find work. He applied and was hired at the White House, and by 17 he'd earned the title of cook and developed a particular expertise—making ice cream for White House guests. One day, he developed a new dream—making ice cream that all could enjoy—and opened an ice cream parlor in his hometown. By adding rock salt to the ice that froze the confection, he started conjuring ice cream in half the time, a change that allowed him to sell the product "near and far." Augustus's dream had come true, and better yet, he had brought smiles to many faces.

Join Cas, Kanga Blue, and their new friend Tillie on an adventure through a wide range of agriculture careers as they imagine the exciting things they might do someday. Agriculture is the backbone of society, and it goes far beyond farming or ranching. In The Things You'll Grow, young readers get a firsthand glimpse of how multiple fields are connected to agriculture: culinary, technology, aviation, engineering, supply chain, and conservation, to name a few. This light-hearted adventure encourages children's interest in career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Chef Roy Choi calls himself a "street cook." He wants outsiders, low-riders, kids, teens, shufflers and skateboarders to have food cooked with care, with love, with sohn maash. "Sohn maash" is the flavors in our fingertips. It is the love and cooking talent that Korean mothers and grandmothers mix into their handmade foods. For Chef Roy Choi, food means love. It also means culture, not only of Korea where he was born, but the many cultures that make up the streets of Los Angeles, where he was raised. So remixing food from the streets, just like good music—and serving it up from a truck—is true to L.A. food culture. People smiled and talked as they waited in line. Won't you join him as he makes good food smiles?