Voices for Agriculture: Schools Adopt a Farmer

When central Oregon rancher Keith Nantz visited Scott School in northeast Portland, Oregon, a few years ago, his visit became a learning experience about agriculture that soon rounded up students' attention.

There are numerous examples of farmers and ranchers who often host on-farm tours for tourists or students. National Agriculture in the Classroom, for instance, helps various states as they develop programs to meet agricultural literacy needs in their schools.

But Oregon farmers and ranchers have a unique opportunity to become Voices for Agriculture through Oregon Aglink's Adopt a Farmer program that's capturing attention from other states and even Canada.

Nantz visited Scott School twice during the school year before hosting the sixth-grade students for a field trip to the ranch. "He brought his dog Poncho and a roping dummy to the first visit," says Oregon Aglink Executive Director Mallory Phelan. "He talked about the importance of animal husbandry, how he trains his horses and dogs and how he takes care of his cows and calves. He gave a demo showing the different whistle commands for Poncho to move about the classroom. During the second visit, rancher Keith brought a bale of hay to the class and talked all about the process of making hay that he harvests in the summer to feed his cows during the winter months."

Phelan explains Oregon Aglink, a private, non-profit organization with volunteer membership, started its Adopt a Farmer program in 2011 to connect people around agriculture. Since then, it has involved more than 25,000 students.

Oregon Aglink pairs a middle school program with a farm or ranch for the academic year. Then, the organization funds one or two field trips to the farm or ranch. This way, "the students can see, hear, touch, smell and get a taste of what life is like on the farm," notes Aglink's website. "Also, the farmer or rancher visits the classroom two to three times throughout the rest of the school year to engage students in the science behind farming, sharing his or her story of the farm and Oregon agriculture."

The experiences help students in their curriculum lessons. For example, Phelan says students from Yamhill Carlton Intermediate School walked down into a trench dug in the soil to learn about soil types and profiles while on a field trip at Bruce and Helle Ruddenklau's farm in Amity, Oregon.

Phelan has spoken to others who are interested in Oregon's program. Earlier this year she was a featured speaker at the Manitoba Swine Seminar in Canada. Some of the points she makes:

-- Any size class or school can be involved.

-- There's no cost to the school. Aglink covers transportation, substitute teachers, student aides, supplies, snacks and water.

-- The farm or ranch is within an hour from the school; trips last two to five hours.

-- Oregon Aglink coordinates the trip, plans its logistics, recruits farmers and teachers, and does the fundraising.

-- The adopted farmers are all volunteers; they prioritize safety, are open to sharing, and don't criticize other farms or methods of farming.

-- The teachers' responsibility is to get administration approval, schedule buses and chaperones, communicate their curriculum needs, and are asked to have an open mind about farming methods.

-- The student rules are simple: "Be safe. Be respectful. Listen. Ask questions."

Phelan acknowledges there can be challenges such as overloaded teachers, student inattention or behavior, unpredictable schedules for farmers, farm-school proximity, bus transportation and weather.

However, as students visit the farm, they can apply what they learned in the classroom to what they see and experience on the farm. The program aims to help students be critical thinkers about agriculture, and nurture them to be curious about jobs in and around agriculture. They might even become the next Voices for Agriculture.

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-- https://aglink.org/…

-- https://agclassroom.org/…

-- You may email Elaine at elaine.shein@dtn.com, or reach her on social platform X @elaineshein or call 402-214-8531

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