Twin VaUey’s Ag Science Students Do What Many Classrooms Merely Teach
(Continued from Pago AM)
came from local industries. The
remainder of the money was pro
vided by FFA chapter fruit and
plant sales.
Frederick would like more stu
dents from different parts of the
Twin Valley FFA’er Ben Dodd holds an aeration stone
from the huge aquaculture tank.
The focus will be on feeding systems and feed conversion studies for fish. Here,
Rich Strausser, left, and Dan Elston feed the tilapia and catfish.
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school to use the facility for
research and other projects. Unfor
tunately, (he school does not offer
science credits in their ag program.
In the future, ag students may be
able to secure science credits from
taking courses in horticulture or
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aquaculture. “We’ve proposed
it,” said Frederick. “We’ve also
proposed merging the ag and sci
ence departments so that we can
work more closely together. But
right now, it’s not happening.
“As teachers, we can'work
closely together,” he said. “But
we’re still giving kids the wrong
message when we don’t give them
science credit for ag. We’re saying
it’s science, but if they don’t gel
science credit, they don’t really
believe it.”
The school will soon implement
major renovation plans. Frederick
wants to include a new
biotechnology/plant science labor
atory in those plans. Also, the ag
science department has asked for a
small facility to house all the small
animal projects.
However, like many ag science
instructors in school, pressure is
being placed on them from animal
rights groups to back down on ani
mal studies.
“If you kill a few fish, nobody
gets excited,” said Frederick.
“But if you try that with rabbits or
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ImcitUr Ftnrtng, Stufdty, May 28, 1994-A35
The school sells the plants to the middle and elementary
school students for special occasions such as Mother’s
Day. Here, Jeremy McCalicher looks at a hanging basket
containing Schennileover.
chickens or something, you’ve got
animal rights people breathing
down your neck right away.”
Frederick admitted that times
have changed for ag instructors.
‘ ‘Atone time, we used to bring a
full-sized sow into the shop and
have her farrow in here,” he said.
‘ ‘But that’s not socially acceptable
anymore.
“We’ve raised pigs for the Farm
Show under the shed roof already,
and we’ve raised veal calves out
under the shed roof, and things like
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that, but those days are gone, 1
think.”
Some animal studies are still
undertaken, including 18 rabbits
used for pet therapy and other pro
jects. Also, students study how
chickens produce eggs with 20 lay
ing hens. The department raises
other small animals for a variety of
ag science projects.
Frederick said (he department
has tried to involve every student
from every class in one aspect or
another of either the hydroponics/
aquaculture system or the horticul
ture system. Students in shop clas
ses have planted flowers in the
greenhouse, and students in ag
management system have worked
out cost factors in economics.
“We have tried to make sure
that every student in the whole
program, in one way, shape, or
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