Ephrata Area School District teachers, administrators, students and community members are bound and determined to revitalize the district's agricultural program.
Thomas Bollinger, a farmer who serves on the Agri-
Science Planning Committee, and Laura Morrison FFA
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And it just so happens the district has a big tool to help: It owns an 80-acre farm adjacent to the middle school that houses a 20-foot- by 40-foot-greenhouse and a new learning pavilion that hosts a heated classroom and restrooms. Several garage doors can be raised to give the feel of an outdoor learning environment.
"The whole agricultural area of study is important to this community. It's very important to have outside input. There are experts out in the community who are invaluable to the school district," said Joane Eby, high school principal.
That's why district staff has partnered with community members to form an Agri-Science Planning Committee. They hope to reinvigorate a program that at one time was one of the biggest in the state, but has been declining over time.
Members include Eby; Robin Felty, assistant superintendent; Josh Haupt, science and agriculture department supervisor; Stephanie Gingrich, director of community relations; Laura Morrison, FFA president; Thomas Bollinger and Carol Stark, community volunteers; and Ken Porter, a retired assistant superintendent who now serves as an educational consultant to the district.
The committee has been meeting every other week since July to make a plan that encourages growth of the district's agricultural program. Their emphasis is on supporting the ag department, organizing programs to utilize the Outdoor Learning Pavilion and the greenhouse located on the district-owned farm.
The committee is also striving to support the Cloister FFA Chapter with a "Garden Chair" project to raise money. The FFA students are handcrafting decorative chairs from branches, sticks and moss and they will be selling the $25 "Made in America" products at Tent City during the Ephrata Fair in September. Orders can also be placed through the Cloister FFA Web site at
www.easdpa.org/ehs/departments/Agriculture/default.htm.
The Agri-Science Planning Committee hopes to kick start a Fall Corn Days program in which elementary students will get some hands-on learning about corn crops.
"We did a research plot with Pioneer seeds," said Bollinger, who farms the district's land.
Bollinger said the students would learn how to determine crop yield and Pioneer will share information about the genetic traits of today's corn.
"We'll show how corn products are used and we'll be incorporating math, English, writing and science," he said.
"This is one way we want to get the kids excited about our ag programs. Agricultural is a very large field. I realize every day that ag is science," Bollinger added.
"This will show parents that FFA really does something," Morrison said.
"The FFA group will be a real visible part of the program. They're the enthusiasm, the excitement. They're the connection to the people," Eby said.
The 80 acres of farmland were originally purchased for construction of an elementary school. That project has been put on hold. Eventually, a school and athletic fields may be built, but it looks like 25 acres will be kept for agricultural research and studies.
The greenhouse and learning pavilion were made possible by local business and community support and a Pennsylvania Department of Education grant.
Eby sees the new program as "ever-evolving," but hopes that there is a solid base of standards and procedures in place within the next three to five years.
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