By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor
This spring, young students across Texas are getting a first-hand look at farming and ranching with the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Farm From School program.
Through Farm From School, students in kindergarten through second grade virtually “meet” with a farmer or rancher once a month using a video conferencing app. Farmers and ranchers show the students where and how food is grown and raised.
Students in TFB’s District 8 visit with Coryell County Farm Bureau members Cody and Erika Archie, who raise Dorper sheep and Angora goats.
Jayne Doxsey, a retired schoolteacher, has been teaching her three grandchildren at home since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The children, who are in kindergarten, first and third grade, learn virtually through their school district part of the day, then participate in homeschool activities with Doxsey during the rest of the school day.
“Homeschool can be very challenging, but this program brings so much joy to our dining table-turned classroom,” Doxsey said. “They have picked up so much vocabulary. When we drive around, they point out things they’ve learned from their video chats.”
The kids had a video chat with the Archies’ 12-year-old son, Clancy, where he talked about using math skills when determining feed rations for his livestock. Clancy showed the students that information learned at school, like math, is applicable in various ways.
“They have not been to a farm or ranch, so they learned a lot from Cody and Erika while they were shearing a goat in one of their videos,” she said. “Afterward, we did some research into the animals and talked about how their hair can be used and what role they play on the farm. It’s been such an amazing experience for them.”
When February’s winter storm roared in, Doxsey’s grandchildren were curious about the Archies and their livestock. Doxsey said it was yet another life lesson because even though they were facing their own hardships with no electricity and burst pipes at their home, they were considering what ranchers go through and learning the important skills of compassion and empathy.
“They realized they didn’t have to go outside, but the ranchers did,” she said. “They were very concerned about their animals and so glad when we connected with them the next month and found out everyone survived and were all doing okay. Those are skills you just can’t learn in a classroom. It’s life experience, and it’s incredible.”
The videos also were compatible with their virtual school lessons, where Doxsey’s first- and third-grade students were both learning about ecosystems and food webs. Taking what they saw on the farm and applying it to their school lessons was a bonus, she added.
In Cedar Park, a suburban population of first-graders are learning more about farming and ranching, as well. Mason Elementary teacher Geeta Erickson said she has worked with students both virtually and in-person this semester as they connected with the Archies.
“The kids love seeing what’s happening on their operation. They’ve asked the farmers about manure, the sheep dogs, tools and jobs on the farm, spraying cattle for flies, what skills are needed to care for the animals, all kinds of questions,” she said. “The kids had a realistic view because they aren’t just reading the information from a book. Their questions were really appropriate because they saw these things first-hand.”
Her students have also been able to tie the Farm From School program into their classroom lessons. They learned about animal classifications, so the activity booklets provided by TFB to go along with the virtual visits have been educational and beneficial, Erickson noted.
She hopes to participate in the program again next semester and wants more teachers in her district to participate, too.
“They’ve learned about agriculture, jobs, animals, skills and tools, vocabulary and our connection with nature. We’ve talked about interdependence and how the farmers and animals need each other,” she said. “There are so many skills we have hit upon from just those 45 minutes of interaction with the farmers once a month. It’s amazing.”
The Archies have enjoyed the experience, too.
“We love getting to bring the kids on the farm virtually. We’ve received a few letters after each video, and they ask a lot of questions. It’s great to hear their takeaways from what we’ve talked about,” Erika said. “It’s just been a lot of fun, and it’s amazing to bring them out here over and over so they can see how things progress through the season.”
Through the virtual farm experience, the students have learned about a variety of farm topics, including spring calving, kidding and lambing season, why sheep and goats are sheared, livestock guardian dogs and their role on the farm and why ranchers raise cattle.
“We enjoy telling our story and sharing our lives with them,” Erika said. “This has been an incredible experience, and it was fun to get our son involved to share his story, too.”
The spring 2021 program will continue through the end of the school year.
Click here for more information about the Farm From School program.