Prairie School’s Pig Farm
Future Farmers of America(FFA) Teacher, Cody Day, sought a way to show his students the complete lifecycle of animals on our plates. He first took this idea to a smaller committee before gauging interest from the larger school board.
With backing from the parents, school and help from KSDE’s Farm to Plate Coordinator, Barb Depew, Mr. Day applied for and received the “Pretty Prairie School Farm to Fork Grant 2011-2012.” Through this grant, the students at USD 311 have been able to acquaint themselves with the farming of pigs, which has been built into the student’s curriculums. (See Liz Goering’s report on the next page.)
His classroom specifically integrates the pig farm into the curriculum. He and the students do 100% of the planning, with class activities like:
Agriculture 1 designs the food rations.
Animal Science picks the sires for breeding.
Welding participates in the paddock building and design.
FFA members receive hands-on showing and judging experience.
Mr. Day reflects that while he anticipated push-back from community members who didn’t grow up in agricultural families, he has received much support. The parents are excited to have their kids have this experiential learning opportunity and closeness to where their food comes from.
As word spread, community members have offered to help. The pigs are kept on a farm about a mile from the school. The project also receives donations of hay feed and straw.
Contributing to the class’s success is the two-week OSHA safety training at the beginning of each semester and the ability for students to opt-out. While the class has been well received, students aren’t required to work with the animals. Mr. Day works to ensure that all of the kids are comfortable and safe regarding their level of interaction.
In addition to the educational benefits to the school, the 3000 lbs of pork produced by the project ends up costing the school around 50% less than it would from buying commercial.
As the grant cycle ends, this project has shown enough success to gain the school’s funding. As it becomes a staple of the curriculum, Mr. Day looks at options for bringing the animals onto school grounds. He hopes to create a model that other districts can adopt for their students. We look forward to sharing the future success of bringing locally grown, farm-to-plate meat to the students.
Notes From Cody Day - FFA Teacher at Prairie School Farm
Charlotte French-Allen - Communications Coordinator, KRC
