Special to The Post-Searchlight

Jones-Wheat Elementary School second and third graders recently participated in the Seed Survivor, a free, curriculum-based learning experience that encourages elementary children to master the elements that plants need to grow.

Approximately 30 students participated in the display at one time, and it took one hour to complete. Students spent half the presentation outside the trailer in a guided plant nutrient lesson and half the presentation inside the trailer playing multi-media and virtual reality video games on soil, water, sunlight, nutrients and growth. After learning the elements that plants need to survive, participants then planted a sunflower seed to take home and grow.

The exhibit tours North America year round and is in Georgia from October to March. Lindsey Metheral, Agrium’s program coordinator, said in 2011 that more than 100,000 children planted seeds at Seed Survivor.

“We want children to grow up to be healthy eaters, to be interested in agriculture and to understand where their food comes from,” Metheral said.

Agrium believes it is important to share their knowledge about what they do best — growing healthy plants.

Educational, interactive activities for students and resources for teachers are available at www.growingthenextgeneration.com.

Agrium Inc. is a major Retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North America, South America and Australia and a leading global wholesale producer and marketer of all three major agricultural nutrients and the premier supplier of specialty fertilizers in North America. Agrium Inc. is the parent company of Crop Production Services, Agrium Advanced Technologies and Agrium Wholesale.

Seed Survivor is a not-for-profit education program sponsored by Agrium.