Bayer shares new “Hawaiʻi’s Farm to Table” activity book for kids

As part of its ongoing support for education and agriculture, Bayer Hawaiʻi is sharing copies of its Hawaiʻi’s Farm to Table activity book for children to various community groups, including several on the island of Molokaʻi.

Created as an educational tool about the important role that farmers play in food production – from planting seeds and caring for crops to harvesting and delivering fresh products to their customers – this 36-page book features fun, creative activities that explore where some local foods come from. 

In April, Bayer’s Molokaʻi team gave away free copies of the book to Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start program, and to fourth-graders at Kaunakakai Elementary School as part of the school’s Earth Day celebration.

Activity books were also made available to students at Kualapuʻu School, Kilohana School and Maunaloa School. Maui Economic Opportunity’s Head Start serves children and families to support their early development and school readiness success.

Dawn Bicoy, Molokaʻi community affairs representative for Bayer Hawaiʻi, said, “Bayer is a big advocate for youth education, and we’re thrilled to include this new activity book in our diverse educational programs. During our Molokaʻi events, we also distributed our company’s Seminis Tomato seed packets as part of the activity book giveaway to complement the ‘How a Tomato Grows’ plant journal project included in the activity book.”

Hawaiʻi’s Farm to Table follows the adventures of farmer Sam, Kona the worm and Leilani the bee as they learn about farming and growing food – and discover, among other things, that pizza doesn’t grow on trees. The island-inspired activity book was illustrated by Ileana Soon and Lori Nishikawa. A PDF copy can be downloaded for free at hawaii.bayer.us.

“We hope that every youngster who opens the activity book, along with their parents, will learn a lot from its varied activities, including coloring, planting seeds, playing games, writing and drawing,” said Monica Ivey, corporate relations lead for Bayer Hawaiʻi.  

Bayer Hawaiʻi is planning to give away a limited number of printed copies of Hawaiʻi’s Farm to Table at their booth during the upcoming Maui AgFest & 4-H Livestock Fair on June 3 at the War Memorial Complex in Wailuku.

Bayer Hawaiʻi’s educational efforts also includes scholarships for Hawaiʻi high school graduates seeking a college degree; participation in the Maui County Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program; internships for college students looking to pursue a career in agriculture; and support for various programs such as Future Farmers of America, science fairs, school supply drives and school gardens.

Grant programs for robotics and STEM education are also available through Bayer Fund, the philanthropic arm of Bayer in the United States.