All summer
School may be out for the summer, but听students听who attend听色窝窝无码一区二区三区鈥檚听Agriculture Science Center听have their hands full听year-round.听And even without classes, every day is still busy.听That鈥檚 because they have steers, lambs, goats, chickens, heifers, rabbits and more to take care of.听Dedicated to the听health听and cleanliness of all听the听animals听housed at the Ag Center,听some students start their day at 6:30 a.m.听and don鈥檛 conclude their day until 9:00 p.m.!听听
The Agriculture Science Center opened in October 2017听to听serve听high school students听with an interest听in听animals and agriculture.听Funded by the 2014 Bond, the facility makes ag education and raising an animal accessible to all听high school听students. Prior to 2017, ag students had to find their own听accommodations听for animals, which could be expensive and out of reach for many.听Now that the Ag Center is open, students have a free place to house their animals.听听
The process of raising an animal is an听education in itself. It starts when a听student听purchases听the听animal.听They听then听raise听and train听the animal听as their own听at the Ag Center,听and then finally听they听auction听the animal听off听for consumption听to the highest bidder.听
How do students pay for this?听
Purchasing an animal can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.听To procure an animal most students try to attain a scholarship听through competing in stock shows.听Students compete in听stock shows听in Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio and San Angelo听in what is called a 鈥渃alf scramble.鈥 This is where a group of students chase around a group of calves听in a show arena and try听to put听a halter听around the calf and drag it听to the middle of the arena. If the student is successful, they win a scholarship that can total up to $1,500听and听must go toward the animal.听This helps with purchasing supplements, feed, bedding, hair care,听etc. If a听market听animal does well at show they听can听be auctioned off and听the听student can earn up to $200,000.听It seems simple,听but the time and dedication听the student gives听are听what determine the animal’s success.听
Future Farmers of America
Kyle Durr,听an 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 alumnus听and now听a听teacher听at the听Ag听Center,听has seen the program听grow from when he was听a student attending Arlington High听School.听听
鈥淎s a student,听there wasn鈥檛 a space to keep the animals like there听is听now.鈥澨听
Durr听jokingly听admits听he鈥檚 a little jealous of the progress听of听the program听and the facility听and听wishes听he had it as听a听student. But he is also proud听of how far it has come.听A perk to his position is that听Durr gets to teach amazing students听like Sophee Dever,听president of the听Arlington听FFA听(Future Farmers of America)听and Ryan Smith,听FFA听secretary.听
Dever and Smith explained that the听Ag Center听has a three-circle听model. The听FFA听is听an organization that听helps听promotes听agriculture education and听teaches听leadership.听Portion听two of the model is the classroom curriculum (vet med,听advanced animal science, etc.)听Finally,听there is the听SAE (Supervised Agriculture Experience), which helps听students build听on听their knowledge from听the classrooms听on topics such as raising livestock like cattle to even听testing their skills in听horticulture.听听听
Dever and Smith,听who are now seniors听at Arlington High,听have been a part of the program since they were听freshmen. Dever,听who has two lambs听at the facility听(Bullseye and听Slinky),听plans to听attend听Texas Tech to study wildlife.听Smith,听who听has about听50听breeding听rabbits at his farm at home,听plans to听attend听Texas A&M to study animal science or听veterinary听science.听For听students听like Dever, Smith and听Martin High听School听junior听Tyler听Hausenfluke,听the Ag Center and听being in the FFA听is awesome because of friends, learning听the materials听and听cultivating听leadership听qualities.听听
To follow the听students’听progress听and听the animals’听journeys听at the Agriculture听Science听Center听click听听for more information.听You can also听follow听on听, like听their听, and听follow听on听.听If the FFA听is an area of听interest听for听you and you currently are not a student听inside听色窝窝无码一区二区三区 do not worry! You can听transfer听to听色窝窝无码一区二区三区 starting July 17 to join in on听all听the fun.