Latta HS , Ada OK
Pursue a deeper knowledge in the production of locally sourced produce and how to prepare the produce in the Skagit Valley of northwest Washington State to cultivate student interest and equip students to produce and prepare sustainable food.
Wanting to immerse ourselves in the local produce we purchased from local farmers at their roadside stands and prepared our evening meals and breakfasts. This was super impactful to teach our students how to prepare the fruits of their labor.
Samish Bay Cheese was a perfect start to our day. Amber's passion and drive for the agricultural world is evident. Her desire to produce top grade dairy in a field dominated by male farmers is something I will use as an example for my female s
Boldly Grown Farms was our first stop in the Skagit Valley. Jacob took his time to show us many ins and outs of vegetable production. There are several ideas and tips he gave us that we will be implementing on the school farm this year.
Jesslyn from Mossy Gate Flowers has such a welcoming spirit. I toured her flowers before they were harvested and sent to wholesale. She and I bounced ideas off of each other when it came to floral arrangements and marketing cut flowers. This first
This was the surprise of the trip. Alluvial Farms was not on the original proposal, but when a day of cancellation occurred, Jacob with Boldly Grown Farms made some phone calls, and I travelled to visit with Matt at his swine operation. The meticul
Kevin, the owner of Cairnspring Mills, is someone I wish all my students could meet. He has a passion for building young people up and giving them opportunity to progress in his company all while he is giving them responsibilities that involve decis
My conventional thinking is what changed the most. Taking a regenerative approach to soil health is something that will be the most long lasting impact. I generally take a synthetic soil amendment approach along with pest management. Seeing how the farmers used agriculture for the solution instead of introducing "outside" products is a learning gap that will be filled using what I learned while in the Skagit Valley of Washington.
Getting out of the textbook. I generally create my own curriculum except when it comes to pest management and plant production. Getting to see first hand working holistic regenerative sustainable operations has allowed me to see that it is achievable and is not something that is just read about. With most of my students being first generation ag ed students I will be able to teach them the production methods that I learned and not have to correct less land friendly methods.
I had a beef operation planned for one afternoon, but while in Skagit County it was cancelled. The outcome was a reschedule to Alluvial Farms. This experience was perfect for what we are wanting to do at the school farm. We do not have enough land to make a cattle operation sustainable, but Matt's pig farm was a perfect unplanned stop to give me ideas on how to implement not only the swine operation, but how he created a static compost pile. Ideas taken from this stop will be implemented.
My students will have more of a say in daily and weekly operations. Kevin showed me how giving young people pride in their work and acknowledging their efforts create a positive environment. Students will have more buy-in and dedication to the production of their own produce when they see themselves as a major decision maker in the school farm operation. They will get outside the classroom walls and be able to have hands-on experiences.
My students will have opportunities to be fully immersed in the planning, production, harvesting and preparing their own food. Using methods learned while on this fellowship my students will be taught regenerative agricultural practices they will hopefully use for their lifetime and see the importance of locally sourced food. The largest project is the school property that we will be using as a unique laboratory.
Giving my students tools for growing their own food will hopefully cause discussions around their own table. The elementary STEM teacher and I have already discussed how we will separate plant families by grades and rotate them annually. This will allow not high school classes to be involved, but Pre-K through Seniors.The ultimate goal is to have heavy community involvement and allow sections to be used by school families to continue to use the land during the summer to grow their food.