Golden LEAF Critical Conversations: Preparing the Next Generation of Agricultural Workers

Meredith, what does that look like at the high school level with the hands-on for animal sciences, agriculture? What does that look like in Greene County? And then is there an example of a student that maybe you can talk about their experience?

So hands-on learning in Greene County is really the heart of our agriculture program.

Our students don't just sit in the classroom and talk about agriculture.

They actually have opportunities to do the work and take ownership of real agricultural responsibilities.

One of the most exciting parts of our program is our livestock barn right here on campus.

Our students get to work directly with sheep, pigs, chickens, and rabbits.

They learn about animal care and nutrition, handling, health, and management, and they gain experience with the daily responsibilities that come with caring for livestock.

Having those animals on campus gives students an authentic experience you can't replicate in a textbook or a traditional classroom.

Our agriculture students operate a school-based enterprise through our greenhouse and nursery.

It's a student-run business with plants available for sale throughout the year.

Students are involved in the whole process of growing and caring for the plants, preparing them for sale, interacting with customers, and learning the business side of agriculture.

They learn about agribusiness and they're actually running a business.

We look for opportunities for our students to share what they're learning with others.

An example of this would be our Green and Ag Day.

Our students have demonstrated agricultural practices and equipment for younger students in the elementary grades and it gives them an opportunity to teach while also showcasing their own skills.

I think that's what makes hands-on CTE education so powerful.

Students are learning technical skills, but they're also developing responsibility, communication, problem solving, teamwork, and business skills.

And most importantly, they begin to see themselves as capable of doing this work and building a career in agriculture.

So, Justin, I've been on y'all's campus and have seen kind of the farm there that almost sounded like what Meredith described at the high school as well.

So let's talk about how does the community college build on those hands on experiences from a high school as those students transition into the community college program?

One of the first things that we recognize in our students in building those hands-on skills is ensuring that the programs that we're teaching still align with what is needed in the workforce.

And part of the way that we do that is ensuring that we are still connecting to our local community.

Many of our programs do that through our advisory boards.

We want to make sure that not only are we meeting the curriculum needs on a state level, but we are also meeting the needs locally, or we're meeting the needs for the community broader.

So making sure in Alamance County, for example, we have a lot of rural ties.

Meredith, what does that look like at the high school level with the hands-on for animal sciences, agriculture? What does that look like in Greene County? And then is there an example of a student that maybe you can talk about their experience?

So hands-on learning in Greene County is really the heart of our agriculture program.

Our students don't just sit in the classroom and talk about agriculture.

They actually have opportunities to do the work and take ownership of real agricultural responsibilities.

One of the most exciting parts of our program is our livestock barn right here on campus.

Our students get to work directly with sheep, pigs, chickens, and rabbits.

They learn about animal care and nutrition, handling, health, and management, and they gain experience with the daily responsibilities that come with caring for livestock.

Having those animals on campus gives students an authentic experience you can't replicate in a textbook or a traditional classroom.

Our agriculture students operate a school-based enterprise through our greenhouse and nursery.

It's a student-run business with plants available for sale throughout the year.

Students are involved in the whole process of growing and caring for the plants, preparing them for sale, interacting with customers, and learning the business side of agriculture.

They learn about agribusiness and they're actually running a business.

We look for opportunities for our students to share what they're learning with others.

An example of this would be our Green and Ag Day.

Our students have demonstrated agricultural practices and equipment for younger students in the elementary grades and it gives them an opportunity to teach while also showcasing their own skills.

I think that's what makes hands-on CTE education so powerful.

Students are learning technical skills, but they're also developing responsibility, communication, problem solving, teamwork, and business skills.

And most importantly, they begin to see themselves as capable of doing this work and building a career in agriculture.

So, Justin, I've been on y'all's campus and have seen kind of the farm there that almost sounded like what Meredith described at the high school as well.

So let's talk about how does the community college build on those hands on experiences from a high school as those students transition into the community college program?

One of the first things that we recognize in our students in building those hands-on skills is ensuring that the programs that we're teaching still align with what is needed in the workforce.

And part of the way that we do that is ensuring that we are still connecting to our local community.

Many of our programs do that through our advisory boards.

We want to make sure that not only are we meeting the curriculum needs on a state level, but we are also meeting the needs locally, or we're meeting the needs for the community broader.

So making sure in Alamance County, for example, we have a lot of rural ties.