The Oklahoma Ag Tag is a specialty license plate that will promote agriculture awareness "on the road" and provide a way to contribute to Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom.

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a joint project of the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Focusing on Oklahoma students in grades Prekindergarten through 12, the purpose of Ag in the Classroom is building agriculture literacy. Curriculum developed to that end uses agriculture-related activities and research-based background material to teach core curriculum in language arts, math, science, reading, information skills, social studies, and the visual arts.

The plate costs just $38.00 for a new tag and $36.50 for a renewal. $20 of the price of the tag goes directly to the Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom program.

To get an Ag Tag, print off the paperwork here. You can then submit your application to your local tag office or to the Oklahoma Tax Commission at this address:

Oklahoma Tax Commission
Motor Vehicle Division
Special Plate Section
2501 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73194-0013

Yes, a special license plate is to be displayed on the rear of the vehicle for which it is issued. The regular license plate should be kept inside the vehicle and produced upon request by law enforcement.

If you choose to use the Ag Tag as your official license plate, then your Ag Tag is renewable at a cost of $36.50. Twenty dollars of the cost will continue to be earmarked for Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom. Allowing your tag to lapse means that your number could be re-assigned to someone else, and you would have to contact the Special Plates Section of the Oklahoma Tax Commission if you ever wanted to renew that tag for official use.

They're really eye-catching and the very first Ag Tags in Oklahoma! And…the vast majority of Oklahomans are several generations removed from direct experience with farming. They live in urban and suburban areas. Ask school children where their food comes from and they will tell you "the grocery store," and clothes, "come from the mall." As more and more citizens become further removed from firsthand knowledge about agriculture, the need intensifies to connect them with agriculture in other ways. Through Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom, teachers are provided with many professional development opportunities, including:

• ag-related tours
• an annual state conference
• on-site training

The program also includes web-based resources, including:

• over 300 lessons aligned to Oklahoma Academic Standards based lessons
• smart board activities
• PowerPoint presentations
• Recipes
• Games
• Songs
• Month by month activities

And Ag Day contests, with prizes, for students:

• These are only a few of the Ag in the Classroom components that generate excitement among students and teachers by offering opportunities for hands-on learning experiences using real life materials, everyday situations and current issues. Your purchase of an Ag Tag will help insure that future generations will understand the importance of agriculture.