Crete-Monee High School’s FFA chapter was featured in FarmWeekNow.com, and is currently in its third year, but its impact is already being felt across Will County.
The chapter manages a community food plot and a popcorn research plot in partnership with the University of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Showcased for invited guests and partners Sept. 9, these student-led projects are a part of how the chapter is redefining what agriculture looks like in urban settings.
“For people to be able to see what we do out here, it means a lot to me that we can do this,” said Gerard Fleming, a junior at Crete-Monee.
The chapter had always planned on having a research plot, Fleming said. But they decided to do as much as they could with their space, which led to the creation of the community food plot.
Fleming helped lead the development of the food plot, which includes pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers and more. The produce is used in a variety of ways, from donations to the local food pantry to healthy meals for student athletes. The garden also houses Fleming’s sunflowers, a project he turned into his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE).
Anthony Studer, a University of Illinois associate professor in the crop sciences department, and his team play an active role in the popcorn test plot. “Pop-omics” is the university’s popcorn-based curriculum. The curriculum is being piloted in several Illinois high schools, including Crete-Monee, where students are actively participating in research.
Jim Taylor of the RFD Radio Network was on-site to hear directly from those involved. Here’s what they had to say:
“I’m extremely proud of my students and everything that they do. They have truly taken this project and run with it,” Biernacki said of the community food plot.
“The pride that they’ve taken in it, the time, the effort, it’s important that they get to show it off, share their story, share their perspective, and see that it’s not just the teacher trying to encourage and push the students, but that the students are taking these projects and running.”
Read the full article on FarmWeekNow.com