Adam Putnam to Bring Ag Reading into the Classroom

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will kick off Florida Agriculture Literacy Day on Tuesday morning by reading to second graders at Dunbar Elementary Magnet School in Tampa.

More than 1,000 volunteers from across Florida will read from "Healthy Florida Farms," written by Arlette Roberge and illustrated by Rick Joggerst, to an estimated 54,000 elementary class students.

The book -- part of a series developed specifically for this annual event now in its ninth year -- stresses the importance of Florida fruits, vegetables, dairy, beef, poultry and seafood products.

Florida Agriculture Literacy Day is a partnership between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, a nonprofit organization charged with educating Florida students and teachers about the importance of the states agriculture industry.