Storm Lake Elementary students learn plant science aboard Seed Survivor classroom

Third- and fourth-grade students at Storm Lake Elementary spent April 9 inside Nutrien’s Seed Survivor Mobile Classroom, a 36-foot exhibit that parked at the school for a two-day stay and turned plant science into a hands-on lesson tied directly to Buena Vista County’s farm economy.

The lesson started with a simple question about what plants need to grow. Students quickly named sun, air, water and soil, then added the missing piece: nutrients. From there, the classroom shifted from basics to the mechanics of modern crop production, with buttons, dials, games and activities built into the mobile space.

Inside, students planted sunflower seeds, drove a pretend tractor and used a virtual fertilizer spreader that broke nutrients down into nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The presentation also showed where potassium comes from, explaining that some nutrients originate underground in ancient seabed deposits. That lesson linked classroom science to the crop production that underpins Iowa’s economy and the work done on farms around Storm Lake.

The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation hosted the program as a free, curriculum-based experience for elementary students. It marked the second year the foundation has partnered with Nutrien to bring Seed Survivor to Iowa schools. In 2026, Iowa is one of only three states selected to offer the mobile classroom.

Seed Survivor says the program reaches nearly 100,000 students across North America each year and includes six displays total: one large exhibit, two mobile classrooms and three community displays. Nutrien says its two Seed Survivor trailers tour Canada during the warmer months and head to the United States in winter. The company, formed in 2018 through the merger of PotashCorp and Agrium, describes itself as the world’s largest potash producer.

Kelly Foss, executive director of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, said agriculture gives science and other core subjects real-world context and helps students see how Iowa agriculture affects their daily lives while building curiosity about plant science and future careers.

IALF’s 2026 tour schedule placed the classroom in Buena Vista County the week of March 30, Clay County the week of April 6 and O’Brien County the week of April 13, showing how the program is moving county by county across northwest Iowa to connect early science lessons with the jobs and industries that will shape the region’s future.