Hamilton eighth graders stepped outside the classroom to discover the people, processes and career opportunities behind the food on their tables during AgScience Day.

Through visits to the Critter Barn in Zeeland and Overisel Reformed Church, students connected with dozens of local agriculture professionals who volunteered their time to explain their work. Each station offered a different look at an industry that plays an important role in the Hamilton community, from growing crops and caring for livestock to transporting products and preparing them for consumers.

“It’s very cool to learn how everything is done and made,” one eighth grader shared.

At Overisel Reformed Church, students explored agronomy, crops, logistics, feed and nutrition, dairy, poultry, hogs, animal welfare and final products. Local professionals helped students follow the steps that connect farms to stores while introducing the many responsibilities involved along the way.

“We learned a bit about how eggs went from farms to stores,” a student explained. “We learned a lot about different feeds.”

Those lessons continued at the Critter Barn, where stations featured dairy goats, sheep, pigs, horses, cattle, poultry, rabbits, honey bees, plants and soil. Students learned how animal diets are balanced, how veterinarians help keep livestock healthy and how different animals contribute food, fiber and other products.

For Critter Barn Executive Director Tony McCaul, the experience also offered an opportunity to broaden students’ understanding of what a future in agriculture might look like.

“Maybe it’s sales, maybe it’s marketing, maybe it’s working with the consumers,” McCaul told students. “There’s all different careers within the industry that we need people.”

That message connected the day’s hands-on learning to the decisions students will make as they move toward high school and beyond. Whether their interests involve animals, science, business or transportation, students could begin to see how their strengths might fit within agriculture.

Just as valuable were the conversations with community members who brought those possibilities to life.

“I like the people. They explained it really well,” one student said. “I kind of like learning about agricultural stuff.”

Hamilton Community Schools thanks the Critter Barn, Overisel Reformed Church and the many local business professionals who made AgScience Day possible. By sharing their time and expertise, these community partners helped students better understand where their food comes from—and discover new possibilities for what comes next.

It is another way Hamilton is connecting classrooms with its community and helping every student become Prepared for Purpose.