- September 6, 2024
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A year ago, the agricultural area of McIntosh Middle School, which hosts its FFA program, was only a few small rows of crops.
Now, it’s a colorful and flourishing space.
“I like coming every day in the morning, seeing when nobody's here, when it's just the start of school, and the birds are chirping, the plants are rustling, you can see seeds starting to sprout and there's a dew on everything," said Kuba Mohrbacher, a seventh grader at McIntosh Middle School.
It's a type of space that agriculture instructor David Gwatney has tasked himself with bringing to Sarasota's school district.
“We need to have places like this to inspire kids, so I've been building this, to try to do that,” he said.
According to Gwatney, programs like FFA used to be more common in schools, while today, offerings in surrounding counties far exceed those of Sarasota County.
However, Farm-to-School Coordinator Kate Traugott is optimistic about the future of agriculture in the district.
One reason is the ongoing renovation of the 40-acre property known as The Farm at McIntosh Middle School, expected to open during the 2024-2025 school year.
“I think we're actively growing,” Traugott said. “That is a big part of what The Farm is working on, is supporting the growth of our ag programs here in Sarasota County.”
Although the property had long been used to raise animals for showing at the Sarasota County Fair and other venues, it will now see a significant upgrade.
The infrastructure will be replaced with a large greenhouse with hydroponic and aquaponic systems, a covered arena for practicing animal showcases and hosting events, a cattle barn and swine barn and a food science lab and demonstration kitchen.
As of late June, the site was actively under construction, with district staff installing security systems and ensuring communication lines are operational.
The district also has new offerings in the agricultural realm coming this year.
It plans to add a new aquaculture program at Sarasota High School, which will visit The Farm and collaborate with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, as well as an agricultural program at Heron Creek Middle School in North Port.
“I would think that is a combination of having the right people in the right places the environment for it, so we have really supportive leadership that's helping make that happen,” Traugott said.
In the meantime, there are still ways students can learn about agriculture through programs like FFA and 4-H.
Currently, chapters of FFA can be found at Sarasota High School and McIntosh Middle School.
Staff and instructors say the learning opportunities within FFA programs range from farming, to more practical applications. Gwatney also highlighted a concept built into FFA: service learning, a combination of education and community service.
This, he said, is what he was hoping to accomplish with a recent program that provided fresh produce to the school cafeteria each week, including about 10 to 15 cucumbers and a gallon of cherry tomatoes.
“It's just a beautiful thing to see the kids up there serving food that they helped grow to the other kids. It just made me so happy.”
Although technical issues hampered the program this year, he hopes to resume it for the 2024-2025 school year.
Gwatney also created the space for Sarasota High School’s FFA program currently overseen by instructor Delanie Woods.
“The kids get excited about using things and being able to grow things," Woods said. "It's very satisfying to start a tomato plant from a seed and then go, 'Can I eat this for one lunch?'”
In addition to raising plants and animals, some other skills are created through FFA programs, including building structures, using tools, working with irrigation and greenhouses and preparing food through means like dehydrating and pickling.
“I think for me, I will say it’s a very big program, so it’s not just for farmers," said Eva Hoyer, a senior at Sarasota High. "We have so many leadership opportunities and public speaking, and just everything. Agriculture affects so much of daily life that it’s important to get a general education, even if you don’t want to be a farmer.”
The district facilitates involvement of students through 4-H, which the University of Florida administers in Sarasota County, as well.
The organization offers clubs at Booker Middle School and Community Day School Sarasota and will be introducing a club this year at Sarasota Academy of the Arts.
"It's super exciting for the kids to see opportunities for themselves to grow their own food for themselves, to see future careers in agriculture," said Sara Davis, a 4-H youth development extension agent with the University of Florida. "It's not just about owning huge tracts of land and farming. In a conventional sense, there's a lot of different work for workforce opportunities within agriculture."
