Agriculture does more than fill our plates—it fuels our lives. From the clothes we wear to the crayons our kids use, farm and ranch products show up in unexpected ways. Even the paper used in this year’s “Ag Books for Kids” entries comes from forestry, a vital part of the agriculture industry.  

This year’s featured book, Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car by Peggy Thomas, brings that idea to life through the true story of how Henry Ford used soybeans to help build cars. His creative blend of farming and innovation helped shape an entire industry—and serves as a powerful example of how agriculture stretches far beyond the field. 

Most Americans today are generations removed from the farm. With less than two percent of the population actively involved in farming or ranching, helping young people understand how agriculture impacts their everyday lives is more important than ever.  

That’s where the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee’s “Ag Books for Kids” program comes in. Since 2004, the program has helped put accurate, engaging agriculture books in elementary classrooms across the state—opening doors to learning and sparking curiosity through stories rooted in real life. 

“Ag Books for Kids is a great way for local communities to promote farming and ranching to young students,” said Seth Allen, a rancher from Niobrara County. Allen chairs the Promotions Sub-Committee of the WyFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee, which oversees the Ag Books for Kids program. 

“Introducing the value of agriculture early on helps shape a positive view for the next generation,” Allen said. “It’s been exciting to see the growth of the program and how students at all grade levels are engaging in conversations about agriculture.” 

In the last 21 years, over 12,000 agriculture books have been donated to Wyoming elementary schools through the “Ag Books for Kids” program. In 2025, county Farm Bureau Federations across the state donated 734 copies of Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car books to Wyoming elementary schools. Contests are held in association with the book of the year to encourage students to learn even more about agriculture. The contests included: Coloring Contest for kindergarten and first grade; Poster Contest for second and third grades; and a Marketing Ad Contest for fourth and fifth grades.  

Goshen County Rancher Cody Alps serves as the WyFB YF&R Committee State Chair. Alps says the  "Ag Books for Kids is an outstanding program that makes kids interested in ag and excited to learn about ag. It also adds great value to our Young Farmers & Ranchers program by providing an opportunity to play an important role in our state." 

In its 21st year, the “Ag Books for Kids” program is a project of the WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Committee. Throughout the years, 12,309 books have been donated to elementary schools by the county Farm Bureau Federations. The grassroots efforts of the county Farm Bureau Federations, who donate the books and help educate about agriculture, contribute greatly to the program’s success. The program’s purpose is to build the collection of agriculture reading materials in Wyoming elementary schools and educate children about agriculture and its importance to us all.