Sacks to sack lunches

Is it possible to take plastic grocery sacks and turn them into a picnic table? The Adair County Clover Kids are about to find out the answer.

According to Terri Raasch, Ag and Outreach Coordinator for Adair County ISU Extension and Outreach, the group, open to kindergarten through third graders, is now collecting plastic sacks. They need over 33,500 bags to make one picnic table that will be donated to the Adair County Fairgrounds.

“We’re probably closing in over 100 pounds [of bags] already. It takes 67 bags to make a pound,” Raasch said. “The need is for 500 pounds of bags. The 33,500 bags is what we’d be taking out of the environment.”

The desired outcome for this project is for the Clover Kids to learn how to take ownership of a project without having to raise funds — because they’re not allowed to under Clover Kids rules — and to learn the positive environmental impact recycling can have.

“We launched this a little early thinking that we would take advantage of bags people had from over Christmas,” Raasch said.

The Clover Kids know about this project, but it will be formally introduced to them at the start of February. They will read a book entitled “A Plastic Bag’s Journey” to generate excitement in the kids for this initiative.

“It’s a cute book about a plastic bag that ends up taking a tour through the environment, as if he were trash that was discarded,” Raasch said. “He goes through the ocean and all these different environments, but then he ends up being recycled. It’s really cute and goes exactly through what happens if we don’t recycle them.”

Residents wanting to donate plastic bags to this project can do so by bringing them to the Extension Office, 154 Public Square, Greenfield, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Our goal is to have the 500 pounds and get it done before county fair,” Raasch said. “The picnic table they’re doing is durable and supposed to be vandal proof, so they’re really hard to scratch on them. They’re supposed to be fade resistant too.”

Officials also recently shared three new project areas are coming to Clover Kids for this year’s county fair. There will be a bucket/bottle calf and lamb and goat show for that division, as well as a clothing selection area. All three will be non-competitive, but hopes are that more offerings will lead to interest in the kids and they will want to stay in 4-H when they can join in fourth grade. Those wanting to participate in these fair projects must be enrolled online by May 15.

Clover Kids boasts almost 50 members. Meetings are held in Greenfield the first Saturday morning and first Tuesday morning of the month, and in Orient the first Wednesday of each month.

“We’re still taking enrollment, so if they want to be involved they can call the office and we’d love to help them get enrolled,” Raasch commented.

The Extension Office may be reached by phone at 641-743-8412.