On May 5, more than 900 fourth grade students from Dodge County will experience farm life firsthand at the 30th annual Farm-City Day on the Ken and Mary Weninger farm, near Iron Ridge.

Bus loads of children will descend on the farm from 8:30 a.m. throughout the day.

Ken and Mary Weninger and their children Derek, 18, Molly, 16, Shelia, 9, and Leah, 7, own 200 acres and rent 60 acres. They milk 40 cows and raise corn, alfalfa, soybeans and rye. Ken also owns and operates K and K, a radiant floor heating business.

The Weninger family is proud of their involvement in agriculture and help other people to understand how their food gets from the farm to their table.  They are pleased to welcome guests to their farm.

This event began with the purpose of creating a project that would promote better understanding between rural and non-rural communities. The project decided upon was Farm-City Day, where school children are invited to tour a real farm, thus giving them a better understanding of what farming is like.

The students will see displays and demonstrations on dairy farming, crops, farm economics and nutrition. Cows, sheep, chickens, goats and dogs will be among the farm animals rounded up for the students to view. The tour is geared toward fourth graders because they study Wisconsin agriculture in the classroom.

Students visiting the farm are asked to be prepared for all kinds of weather. Keep in mind it may be cold and rainy and the fields may be muddy.

By touring a real farm, the children get a better idea of what farm life is really like.

Today the event is sponsored by Dodge County Farm Bureau/Farm Bureau Women, Dodge County Dairy Promotion Committee, Rock River Chapter of Wisconsin Women for Agriculture, Dodge County Pork Producers, Dodge County Dairy Youth Advisory Committee, Dodge County 4-H Leader's Association and Dodge County UW-Extension.