On the Farm Experience for Children’s Book Authors Slated for January; Apply by Nov. 15

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 20, 2015 – The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture invites children’s book authors to attend an On the Farm Author Experience Jan. 7 – 10 in Orlando, Florida.

Ten applicants will be selected to receive a $1,500 stipend plus room, meals, tour transportation, event registration and all materials to attend the event. Additional space may be available on a paid-attendance basis. Visit http://www.agfoundation.org/projects/beef-author-training for more information and to submit your application. The application deadline is Nov. 15.

The focus of the training will be life on cattle ranches. Exploring ways to effectively reach children with valuable information about food and nutrition will be a highlight.

The event will provide an open dialogue, with the opportunity for exploration and enriching creative time. Authors will tour farms and ranches, engaging in conversation and discussion panels with real farmers and ranchers. The experience will also provide an excellent opportunity to connect with the men and women involved in food production from across the nation at the American Farm Bureau’s Annual Convention. Authors will learn how to enrich their storytelling with the history and heritage of food production.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend the Foundation’s live announcement of its 2016 Book of the Year on Sunday, Jan. 10. Participating authors will be recognized at this event, with expected attendance of more than 2,000 families, educators and state literacy coordinators from across the country.

Agricultural experience is not a requirement to participate in the training.

The Beef Checkoff Program funded development of this training and supporting resources. The Beef Checkoff Program (www.MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 farm bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. In states with qualified beef councils, states retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.