Montgomery County Students Learn Through Hands-on Farm Experience
agriculture, education, farming, montgomery county high school, youth,
They can set it‚ plant it‚ gather it‚ house it and strip it - they just can’t smoke it.
Growing tobacco is just one of the activities the Montgomery County High agricultural department has planned for the school’s new farm. Undergoing finishing touches‚ the expansive plantation became available to students beginning with the fall 2001 semester.
“This is our first truly operational farm‚” says Joe Myers‚ the agriculture teacher who is overseeing the farm project. “We’ve worked with smaller tracts of land in the past‚ but now we have a barn‚ livestock and our own equipment.”
The farmland stretches out over 174 acres and is located a mere two miles from the school. The land was purchased late last year.
“Over 20 years ago‚ our department received an endowment from Mr. C.C. Chenault‚ which was placed in an interest-bearing account‚” Myers says. “We’ve since paid for the building where we’re housed and bought the new land.”
The farm will be put to good use‚ as agriculture is one of Montgomery County High’s most popular programs.
“We make around 20 classes available and have between 300 and 350 students enroll in them each year‚” Myers says.
Improvements on the land - including fencing‚ water‚ bulldozing and building a new road - are currently nearing completion.
The farm won’t just revolve around horticulture‚ according to Myers. A wide array of classes and unique learning opportunities also will be available.
“Students will be able to perform veterinary practices with the cattle and get some hands-on electrical and practical experience when we wire the barn‚” he says. Myers also envisions forestry classes and equine labs with horses at the farm.
“We’re going to be set up on a small scale to be like a university farm‚” he says. “There will be classes taught in the school‚ and then students can come to the farm for labs‚ enhancing what’s taught in the classroom.”
The farm is not limited to Montgomery County High students but is being made available to all schools in the Montgomery County district‚ from elementary-to high-school level.
“If a middle-school science class wants to come in for a soil sampling‚ we’ll be open for that‚” Myers says. “We want to make this farm available to all surrounding classes and students who can benefit from its use.”
Story by Jesse Thompson
Photo by Theresa Montgomery
