The 36th annual Project RED (Rural Education Days) was held April 22 through April 24 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, drawing third graders from every school district in Washtenaw County, along with teachers, parents, and guests.
Three classes from South Meadows Elementary School attended on Wednesday. and many Chelsea community members helped plan and present at the event.
During their visit, students rotated through a series of hands-on stations at the Farm Council Grounds. In a large barn with the state of Michigan chalked on the floor, 4-H members led a “Walk Thru Michigan Agriculture,” introducing visitors to more than 300 commodities grown or produced in the state.
Next, in the dairy barn, students and guests met an expectant mama cow and young calf, on loan from Horning Farms. Students learned what cows eat, and how their micro-chip ear tags provide the farmer instant information about how much milk that cow’s producing, or if she’s having a health problem.
The animal barn featured a calf, pigs, rabbits, goats, donkeys, llamas, and a steer. Outside, students learned about corn production and saw the equipment farmers use to plant and harvest crops. The Milan FFA brought a battery-operated drone, demonstrating how the technology is used for field photography and fertilizer application.
Inside the block building, interactive displays and activities let students milk a fiberglass cow, weigh eggs, grind wheat berries into flour, watch fleece being combed and spun into yarn, match seeds with produce, and spin the Agriculture Trivia Wheel. A “made in Michigan” display included some familiar products, including Chelsea’s JIFFY Mixes.
In a fun, interactive display, visitors learned about water resources and how all the things that go into drains can pollute the groundwater that eventually empties into local rivers, like trash, tire residue, pesticides, lawn fertilizer and even pet animal waste. They also learned about how soil and rain gardens capture toxins and help filter and clean our groundwater.
The day wrapped up with a “Taste of Michigan” featuring samples of beef hot dogs, apples, ice cream, potato chips, dried cherries, dried blueberries, sunflower seeds, honey butter on crackers, and popcorn.
Students collected trading cards at each station, and teachers took home goodie bags for every student, filled with activity sheets, puzzles, pencils, soy crayons, and pine tree seedlings donated by the Washtenaw Conservation District. It was a fun-filled, educational field trip where lots of great memories were made.
In 2026, Project RED had nearly 2,000 students, teachers, and parents registered, representing every school district in the county, along with 30 organizations and businesses and over 300 volunteers across three days of programming. In 36 years, Project RED has reached nearly 83,000 students, teachers, and chaperones through face-to-face programming.
