By Jennifer Whitlock
Field Editor
East Texas students are getting a first-hand look at timber production through Texas Farm Bureau’s 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 students what agriculture looks like in the area.
Students in TFB’s District 11 visit with Walker County Farm Bureau member Damon Burris, a forester for Steely Lumber Co. in Huntsville.
Over the course of four monthly visits, Burris led the students on a journey from seed to tree to lumber, showing them the life cycle involved in the Texas forestry sector.
“I work for a sawmill, so I’ve been able to give them an overview of the lumber industry and how it related to agriculture,” Burris said. “We’ve talked about prescribed burns, managing trees and herbicide applications, logging and harvesting, and the sawmill process to make lumber.”
They also discussed how growing trees for timber is similar to growing row crops, just on a longer time scale. Burris said the students seem to have really enjoyed the video visits and seeing the equipment in action.
“One of the main points I’ve really tried to show them is that timber and trees are a renewable resource,” he said. “There are so many things in agriculture that get bad press, people saying we’re harming the environment and that sort of thing. But we’re planting more trees than we’re using and helping to properly manage forests.”
Forest Ridge Elementary first grade teacher Hillarie Rollins is one of the teachers whose class has been visiting with Burris this semester. She said it’s been a gratifying experience to watch her students become so engaged with Burris.
“They actually wanted to leave recess early so they could get on the call from the very beginning. That’s how I know they really love it,” she said. “They look forward to the visits, and they love how they can ask questions in the chat box and get answers right away.”
The students have had some surprisingly sophisticated questions for Burris. Rollins attributes that to the immersive experience of seeing the process over time, which allows the kids to fully grasp the concepts.
“They’ve had really relevant questions. One of them asked how many jobs his business provides the area, and another one wanted to know where he could go buy the lumber because he wanted to see the end product in real life,” she said. “All of his lessons have really targeted something we’ve learned in class, so we make those connections with what we’re learning. Things like plant life cycles and natural resources are so much clearer to them because they can see it happening in real time.”
Conservation of natural resources is also a pertinent concept.
Burris helps the students understand that the entire tree is used—from how the logs are planed and cut to using the sawdust as fuel for heat to dry the cut lumber.
Another topic Rollins has found relevant this semester is safety.
Burris noted the safety precautions he and his coworkers take each day to prevent harm, and she’s been able to relate this back to classroom safety in light of the pandemic.
“I really appreciate how he makes it real world, real life. We pay attention to every part of the process,” she said. “He stresses that safety is first and foremost, and that’s been important to see, especially this semester, because we’ve had to talk about safety with COVID. It’s been nice to be able to relate how we do our job of learning and teaching safely to how Mr. Damon is doing his job safely, and we all have a role to play.”
The Spring 2021 program will continue through the end of the school year.
Click here for more information about the Farm From School program.