The Mail-Journal, Volume 6, Milford, Kosciusko County, 9 March 1969 — Page 25

Agriculture Fits Into Curriculum

Agriculture, the most basic of our countries industries is being served at Wawasee high school. Through vocational agriculture the boys and girls can study the most advanced technologies of food and fiber production. The agriculture curriculum includes the latest in crop and livestock production techniques and the only requirement for enrollment is an interest in agriculture. It includes leadership training of the highest quality through the Future Farmers of America organization. It includes agricultural - Mechanics instruction and may in the future include a comprehensive course in horticulture. And it now includes post-high school adults in one of the oldest forms of high school presented adult education the adult farmers classes. At Wawasee high school, agriculture education begins in vocational agriculture I. In vocational agriculture I, freshman boys are trained in leadership,

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HEW WAWASEE HIGH SCHOOL AGRICULTURE AND EDUCATION MUST WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY Kosciusko County Farm Bureau Co-op

records keeping, basic shop skills, crop production techniques and basic soil technology. In vocational agriculture II at the sophomore level, soil science, animal science and advanced shop skills are emphasized, plus additional leadership training is provided to the students. At the junior level, students are subjected to additional shop training, a careers course, leadership training and agricultural economics. And at the senior level in vocational agriculture IV farm management, advanced animal science, advanced soil science and conservation practices are studied. In all years of vocational agriculture, shop work is emphasized so that boys in their senior year can enter, and be prepared to enter the occupational agrimechanics course offered to them at Wawasee high school. In this agri - mechanics course, the boys are subjected to training that will enable them to enter

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the agri - mechanics occupational field at the termination of their high school careers. Sever-

Future Farmers At Work

al of the boys currently taking the course are planning to use it to aid them in farming after they

graduate from high school. FFA Leadership training is emphasized through the Future Farmers of America organization. Agriculture serves everyone in our land and all people in other lands. Therefore, we need competent agricultural leaders. FFA is vocational agriculture’s way of developing these leaders. The FFA is an intra-curricular, national organization of, by, and for boys enrolled in vocational agriculture that, through contests, meetings and conventions stressing development of character, poise, and other traits of leadership, strives to serve our people and country. It might be added that it .works. The Lakeland schools now have several teachers and administrators who are former FFA members, who do often use their leadership braining. The motto of the FFA is: Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living to serve. Many former vocational agriculture students are living by this motto today. The adult farmer classes are vocational agriculture’s way of keeping the agricultural commodities producers (farmers) current on the latest and most advanced crop and animal production technologies. The course content is varied and strives to meet the needs of the farmers. The speaker for each of the classes is generally an outsider who approaches the “expert” level in his particular area of endeavor. By using this type of person to instruct the classes, the best available information is presented to the farmers. Adult education in agriculture is free at Wawasee high school and can be one of the most valuable and most profitable tools available to the adult farmer. Often times people think that agriculture and agriculture education is a thing of the past, but this concept is the furthest thing from the truth. Agriculture and education in agriculture is more important now than ever before. There are the multitudes of Americans to feed and clothe, not to mention the people of other lands. Any country is only as strong as its agriculture productivity will allow it to be and to keep this country strong, Americans mbst keep pace with the needs. To keep pace 'with the needs, they need what Wawasee high school and other high schools offer in agriculture education.