Growing agricultural program in Pequea Valley School District receives national award

Rigorously dealing with tiny inexperienced succulents, Pequea Valley Highschool scholars trimmed the stems After which potted them into soil.

Their agriculture teveryer, Doug Masser, stood Inside The varsity’s inexperiencedhouse with The scholars gatright hered round, holding Definitely one of many crops up in his hand for them To watch as he defined the apply of propagating.

That palms-on exercise isn’t an unusual event. Pequea Valley’s agricultural scholars Usually tfinish to be found with their palms Inside the dust or teaching a canine than sitting at a desk.

Daniel Visitor, left, and Abram Hershey work in succulent crops By way of the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class in Pequea Valley Highschool Agriculture program Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

BLAINE SHAHAN | Staff Photographer

It’s An factor of a “study by doing” philosophy that’s An factor Of every agricultural class educators Masser and Jasmine VanSant tevery and one set off This method was honored recently by the Nationwide Affiliation of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) with the Excellent Center/Secondary Agricultural Education Program Award.

Masser and VanSant acquired the award on behalf of the district On the NAAE Convention Nov. 29 through Dec. 3 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pequea Valley was one of six districts nationwide acknowledged for A strong program. Pequea Valley acquired an nameless nomination from a supply in Pennsylvania and was invited To use for consideration.

“It’s undoubtedly an honor to be acknowledged On the national diploma,” VanSant said. “Our scholars get acknowledged as An factor of that too, with All of the exhausting work thOn they’re doing.”

It’s The primary time Pequea Valley acquired this award, Masser said, however final yr one other Lancaster County district, Lampeter-Strasburg, acquired The identical recognition.

“That simply goes To level out the power of Lancaster County ag,” Masser said.

Agricultural studies

This yr, An complete of 250 Pequea Valley scholars in grades seven through 12 are taking agricultural packages, Masser said.

“Wright hereas some schools have it Extra sturdy to get scholars into This method, we permit and require That every scholar takes an ag class,” Masser said. “That simply reveals The worth of That is agriculture, That is the meals we eat, the resupplys we use.”

Every Tenth grader should take the introductory agriculture class – biological studies in agricultural science – alongside The regular Tenth grade biology curriculum.

Doug Masser, a teveryer in Pequea Valley Highschool’s Agricultural program, teveryes scholars to propagate succulents, Inside the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

BLAINE SHAHAN | Staff Photographer

Roughly 50 to 75 scholars take a quantity of agriculture packages Starting from plant science and meals science to animal science and agricultural mechanics.

When senior Tre Rosa graduates this yr, he Might have taken 11 of Pequea Valley’s agricultural packages – 75% of the agricultural curriculum. He’s hoping to Adjust to Inside the footsteps of his teachers VanSant and Masser To Wind up to be an agricultural teveryer himself after school.

He’s even hoping to attfinish Penn State College as each teachers accomplished their agricultural studies tright here.

“I might have by no means thought-about being an ag teveryer earlier than (Masser and VanSant),” Rosa said. “It’s undoubtedly As a Outcome of of their ardour for this profession As properly as to their willingness To assist.”

Rosa has interned with VanSant, serving to her with lesson plans and teverying parts of her packages.

VanSant and Masser’s palms-on strategy to studying has been a key factor to Rosa’s success Inside the agricultural program, as he studys biggest by doing.

Hands-on studying “assists me primarytain in thoughts the primeics greater,” Rosa said.

Jasmine VanSant, left, teveryes canine obedience with you canine Molly and Tenth grade scholar Luke Stoltzfus, in her Small Animal Science class at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

BLAINE SHAHAN | Staff Photographer

Farming has been an curiosity of Rosa’s since he was youthful and spfinishing time at his good-grandfather’s farm. He started taking agricultural packages in his freshman yr and shortly joined The Prolonged time period Farmers of America program, turning into its president this yr.

Any scholar who takes an agricultural class can joInside the FFA and the group’s annual dues are paid for by the district, Masser said.

FFA “has had An monumental influence on me,” Rosa said. “It’s actually all about management … and it’s actually assisted me to develop my management expertise Tons.”

A rising program

Roughly 75 scholars attfinish The varsity’s month-to-month FFA conferences and membership has elevated with The varsity’s agricultural class requirement.

As A complete, This method has developn exponentially since Masser and VanSant have been employed 9 yrs in the past.

The program, which was first based at Pequea Valley Inside the Nineteen Thirties or ’40s, Based mostly on Masser, was earlier thanhand provided to grades 9 through 12 and taught by one teveryer however has since increaseed To incorporate grades seven and eight taught by two teachers.

Pequea Valley prioritizes agricultural education To join scholars with a enterprise sector that Is strong not solely Inside their district However the county.

Lancaster Is understood nationwide as Definitely one of many prime non-irrigated agricultural counties, Based mostly on the district’s software for the award, and Pequea Valley’s schools are surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland.

But, beset off A lot of the farms are Amish-owned, Pequea Valley’s scholars aren’t rising up on farms.

“That’s what our job right here is, To assist every studyer discover how they’re related to the agriculture they see All through our district and the agriculture that influences their Lifestyle,” Masser said. “It is a problem however I really feel that’s what makes our job nice Is that they arrive in with no information in any respect.”

Pequea Valley Ag

Daniel Visitor, left, and Abram Hershey work in succulent crops By way of the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class in Pequea Valley Highschool Agriculture program Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Pequea Valley Highschool Tenth grader Lana Willenbrock works with succulent crops Inside the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Tenth grade scholars work with soil By way of the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class Inside the inexperiencedhouse at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Jasmine VanSant teveryes canine obedience Collectively with her canine Molly, throughout her Small Animal Science class at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Jasmine VanSant, left, teveryes canine obedience with you canine Molly and Tenth grade scholar Luke Stoltzfus, in her Small Animal Science class at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Jasmine VanSant teveryes canine obedience with you canine Molly in her Small Animal Science class at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Daniel Visitor, left, and Abram Hershey work in succulent crops By way of the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class in Pequea Valley Highschool Agriculture program Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Pequea Valley Highschool Tenth grader Lana Willenbrock works with succulent crops Inside the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Tenth grade scholars work with soil By way of the Organic Research in Agricultural Sciences class Inside the inexperiencedhouse at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Jasmine VanSant teveryes canine obedience Collectively with her canine Molly, throughout her Small Animal Science class at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.

Pequea Valley Ag

Jasmine VanSant, left, teveryes canine obedience with you canine Molly and Tenth grade scholar Luke Stoltzfus, in her Small Animal Science class at Pequea Valley Highschool Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2022.