Where Learning Takes Root: East Aurora’s Hands-On Approach to Sustainability.

WEBVTT
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Hello everyone, and welcome to the Eerie Niagara School Superintendents Association's podcast, achieving joy and mastery in public schools.
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I am your host, Brian Graham, superintendent of the Grand Island Central School District.
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We are really excited that you're listening today.
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This podcast is designed to celebrate all that is good in public education around Western New York.
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We will be featuring programs and innovative ideas that inspire and influence our students, faculty, staff, and community in new and exciting ways.
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So, everybody, let's get started.
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Today on the podcast, we have Brian Russ, the superintendent of the Easter Aurora Union Free School District.
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Brian began his educational career as a teacher in Akron Central, working mostly at the high school level.
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While teaching at Akron, he received his educational administration degree.
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He quickly was identified as a successful candidate for an assistant principal position in Akron.
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And later, after building a house here in East Aurora, he applied for the post of principal.
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Brian Russ was hired by the district in 2004 and later became the director of instructional technology and was the chief information officer before accepting the role of interim superintendent and eventually being hired as the superintendent, ladies and gentlemen, in 2011.
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Brian, you really, really have broken the glass ceiling.
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We're very, very proud of you as a cohort of superintendents.
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Brian was highly successful, or is has been a highly successful superintendent for 15 years.
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And today we're going to be discussing the sustainable agriculture program that was launched here in 2023 and 2024.
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What makes this story especially meaningful is that East Aurora High School sits, and I did not know this, Brian, on 107 acres.
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Do I have that correct?
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Yep.
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That's correct.
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Yeah, a hundred and seven acre campus here in East Aurora, and it was was once a family farmland.
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I think we're going to learn about that in a moment.
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Rather than simply remembering that history, as most schools do, the district is bringing it back to life through a modern sustainable agricultural program that gives students hands-on experience with farming, animal care.
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Maya was telling me there's even there were cows here yesterday, so I gotta I can't wait to talk to her about that.
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So not only animal care and farming, but sustainability, composting, food systems, entrepreneurship, and service to the East Aurora community.
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East Aurora schools have approximately 1,700 students served in three different schools.
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Brian, welcome back to the podcast.
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Thank you, Brian.
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It's great to be here with you today.
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Yeah, I am so excited about this work that and this episode.
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It's so unique.
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And I guess I did not really know this was going on here.
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And I'm very, very impressed, not only with the teachers and Maya that are sitting with us today, but the vision of your staff, your faculty, and how this is growing.
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And it's really not that old, but it's really uh taken off, hasn't it?
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It sure has.
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Yeah, yeah.
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It's really great.
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It is so great.
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So, you know, uh we talk a lot about the the title of this podcast is Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools.
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I'm just curious what's bringing you joy right now as a superintendent?
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I guess innovative programs like sustainable agriculture are the staff, administrators, and teachers working together to create programs that our students are really interested in.
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And so principals work closely with our students to get feedback.
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I work with um a student advisory group as well to get information about what's going well in the school district and where we can use some help.
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And they always come up with some great ideas, and and part of this came from our looking at our own food service program.
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And that's kind of where the idea first came.
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But I'll get into that a little bit later in the podcast.
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But I think the innovative programming is really exciting.
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I think it provides like innovation and a variety that our students are really enjoying.
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Yeah, that's great.
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And you and I have done a podcast before, and it really was also celebrating innovation at the middle school level.
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And in in the intros, Maya was saying, Oh, I was part of that program in middle school, which I'm not surprised about.
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I imagine that's still going on, right?
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Oh, absolutely.
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Yeah, it's very successful.
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Yeah, that's awesome.
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So, and if I recall, and I, you know, help me out a little bit.
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I remember that there were some authentic performances by the middle school students as part of this program.
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Do you want to just give a little color to that?
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Yeah, so they work on passion projects and they work on them throughout the year.
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And then we have this uh this day in the spring, which is coming up soon, where they get to put their projects on display at at Knox Farm.
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So we work at the mansion, and each one of them gets to talk about their project with the public.
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And every year when I attend, I try to visit every one of them.
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And I'll tell you, I'm just blown away by their creativity and the passion that they have for their particular topic.
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And so I think it's just a great way to help them to learn just better communication skills, research skills, the ability to stand up and present.
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Yes.
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Those are all really valuable things that they learn uh throughout the process, and they seem to really enjoy it.
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Yeah, and I think, quite honestly, you are ahead of the curve, right?
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You and your teachers and your students doing work like this at the middle school level is transformative, I think, and well aligned with what the portrait of a new graduate is really communicating across the state.
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And and so I think there's a lot, you know, for our listeners to absorb today and to celebrate the good work that's been going on here.
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And that program has been, you know, been around for a while, hasn't it?
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The middle school program.
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Yeah, for for several years.
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And every year it it sells out.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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The class is maxed out every year because we just have so many kids who are interested in participating.
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Yeah.
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And it feels a little bit like a capstone project.
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Trevor Burrus, Jr.
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That's exactly what it is.
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Yeah, it's a capstone.
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And I love that you've titled it Passion Projects, right?
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And it doesn't seem so ominous.
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But it I would imagine that these students work on it for all of eighth grade.
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Oh, for the majority of it.
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Yeah.
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They they kind of start off in the beginning talking about how do you go through the process.
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So they uh the teachers are teaching them those kind of research skills and those development skills.
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Yeah.
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And then they they start identifying their their their area of passion, and then they develop it, and it takes months to prepare the uh, like you said, the capstone work.
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Yeah, yeah, it's really, really great.
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So thank you for sharing that with our audience.
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And you know, before we introduce the guests at the table, I always love to kind of probe a little bit and what inspired or influenced our guests to pursue education, right?
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It's such an important endeavor and it's a labor of love, right?
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So, where where did you grow up?
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I grew up in Chictawaga.
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Okay.
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Where'd you go to school?
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I went to Chictawaga Central.
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Nice, nice, nice.
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I was just there last week.
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We had an artificial intelligence summit that Scott Zip and the PDK of Buffalo, Niagara put together.
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Great campus.
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He's doing amazing work there.
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It's really, really great.
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So you grew up there, and then what influenced you to pursue education?
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Well, I I I think when I look back on it, I started off as a lifeguard when I was like 15 years old.
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And I taught I taught kids uh swim lessons and they were from age five to probably 15.
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Nice.
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You know, I was a swimmer and I just loved doing it.
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And and then when I decided to go off to college, I was actually like at that time back in the 80s, you know, like computer science management information systems was a really big area of focus.
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And so that's where I studied.
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But quite honestly, I I didn't find it completely fulfilling.
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Right.
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So I decided to go back to graduate school and and study education.
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Nice, nice.
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Very good.
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So do you dabble?
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Do you code at all?
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Uh no, I've given that up a number of years ago.
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All right, that's awesome.
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So I'm excited right now to introduce Jeff Shelley.
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All right.
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So, Jeff, it's a pleasure to meet you.
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I know you're a science teacher here at the high school, but maybe uh help us uh give a little bio, a little background to your journey.
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Maybe where where did you grow up and what what inspired you to pursue education?
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Yep.
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So I grew up in the Hamlet of Colden, just outside of East Road a little bit.
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Yeah.
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I've attended Springville High School for all my years.
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Nice.
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And I pretty much, right from a young age, knew I wanted to do something with weather or earth sciences.
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Right.
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So very quickly, I decided that earth science was going to be my forte that I really wanted to dive into.
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So all through high school.
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Where'd you go after high school?
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So after high school, I went to SUNY Genesio.
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Oh, nice.
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Um and I got a geology degree.
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Nice, which allowed me to be able to either be a geologist or go on in earth science and got the chemistry certification.
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Okay.
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And very quickly came back here back home looking for a job and landed a job right here in East Roar, my first year.
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So that's great.
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And and and it's a good, you know, when I drive through this community, it's just one of the most iconic communities in western New York.
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And I imagine, you know, working here is awesome.
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Do you still live in the Springville area?
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So I live just outside of East Roar in Colden.
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Yeah.
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Um my hometown.
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Um but seven-minute drive to school, which is really nice.
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But yes, yeah, it's really great, great community to be in.
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So what's on your caseload as a science teacher right now?
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So I've always been Earth and Chemistry.
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Over years, I developed an environmental science program that they actually can get college credit for through was ECC.
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Nice.
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Um now it's Buffalo State University.
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So I've got about 45 to 50 students enrolled in that this year.
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Yeah.
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So I teach three sections of that.
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So it's kind of a kind of neat that I actually don't teach any regents anymore.
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I teach all juniors and seniors, um, whether it be environmental science or the sustainable agriculture.
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Right.
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Um and and this particular course that Maya's in, we're gonna meet Maya in a moment, is the what do you call it?
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The So Sustainable Agriculture.
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Sustainable agriculture, right.
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Yeah.
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And it's a senior elective.
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Only seniors can take it, but it is within our science realm because we are both science teachers.
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Of course.
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So it can be kind of their fourth science or fifth science, like Maya's case.
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Yeah.
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But it cannot replace for actual science course.
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Yeah.
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And and you also have a club, right?
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Yeah.
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So we have a club to in order to basically take the money in and out.
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We have monthly club meetings where we have business meetings where they uh approve for the bills, approve purchases.
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We have a treasurer that does a treasurer's report.
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We have a secretary that keeps all their notes.
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Wow.
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That gets all turned into the to the auditors to to look at our money going in and out.
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Wow.
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But again, the the idea is we've gotten money from our educational foundation to get the program going, but moving forward, all of the funds come from our sales.
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Yeah.
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And so far we've been doing pretty well after being two or three years in that we're sustaining our programs, we're adding to programs, and it's really the kids, their hard work, that that sweat equity that is actually allowing us to grow into our different fields of study that we're doing.
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Yeah, that's great.
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Well, we're gonna introduce uh Ethan Hansen next.
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Ethan, I understand you also are a science teacher in the high school and with a specialty maybe in physics.
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Yep.
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I teach API physics, regions physics, computer programming.
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Oh, very nice.
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And sustainable agriculture.
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Yeah.
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So all great stuff.
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I'm a kind of a nerd.
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I do a lot with AI.
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I'm building dashboards and perplexity and clod, but you know, you really know how to do it.
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I just wing it and fake it a little bit.
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I guess.
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What what are you introducing kids as far as computer science go?
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What what are the basics?
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What are you teaching them?
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So the the course is it's an AP course called AP Computer Science Principles.
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Nice.
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So it's it's kind of basic coding principles, but also computer science vocabulary and nice terminology.
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Nice.
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Yeah.
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Great, great.
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So tell me about your background.
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You know, where did you grow up and why did you pursue science as a career?
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So I grew up in Barker, which is in northeastern Niagara County on the lake.
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And Jacob Ryan, Jacob Reimer's the super there.
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And I was just there just a few weeks ago, and we did a podcast.
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They have a great partnership with United Way, and it really supports their community.
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But I also just want to give him a plug.
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He's got a solar farm on his property, and I'm jealous about that.
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Yeah, but he's great.
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Do you do you still live in that area?
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I do not.
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I I had a really great experience in Barker Schools, and it's a farming community.
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Yeah.
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I was not a farmer as a interesting, yeah.
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My family isn't in farming.
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That was a more recent endeavor.
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But grew up in Barker, uh, went to Geneseo, studied physics, and both of you guys went to Geneseo.
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Yes.
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We didn't overlap.
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Yeah.
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I was there right before.
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Close.
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Nice, nice.
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But yeah, I would say I like physics.
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Yes.
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But I think my true passion is agriculture.
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Yeah.
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So I feel very It's wild, right?
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This this journey, you know, from living in a farming community but not farming, who now now you're very passionate about it.
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Where does that come from?
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Agriculture program here kind of started.
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I don't know what got into me, but I was inspired to present at our staff wellness day.
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Okay.
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Probably to get tenure, right?
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I don't I don't think so.
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I was I was feeling feeling particularly inspired at that time.
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And gave a present.
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I had started a couple years before it started working at a local farm, pasture-based livestock farm.
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Say that again.
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Pasture-based livestock farm.
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So I don't know what that means.
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So that means our animals are not in barns.
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Okay.
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We rotate them through pasture.
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Pasture-based.
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All right.
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I got confused with that word.
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So chicken, pork, dairy.
00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:07.440
Yeah.
00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:08.720
And where is that happening?
00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:10.879
That's Herba Verde Farms in Easter Aura.
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:11.759
Easter Aura, got it.
00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:12.080
Yep.
00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.279
So I started working there and while you're teaching here.
00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:15.600
Yeah.
00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:18.320
Brian, we got to talk about your contract here.
00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:19.600
What's happening?
00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.000
Well, it started because I used to teach summer I call it NerdCamp.
00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:24.559
Okay.
00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:24.879
Yeah.
00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:26.000
I I would sign up.
00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:30.399
Talent gifted and talented summer program through through Johns Hopkins.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:31.039
Nice.
00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:32.080
Totally nerd camp.
00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:33.200
And it got canceled.
00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:33.679
Yeah.
00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:37.919
It feels like longer ago than COVID times, but it got canceled in COVID.
00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:38.480
Yeah.
00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:41.519
So I didn't have any kids yet, so I was looking for something to do.
00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:42.320
Yeah.
00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:51.039
And I didn't realize till later that I think my interest in farming started by the YouTube algorithm.
00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:55.840
I was teaching myself how to build a fence at my house.
00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:56.399
Yep.
00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.919
Watching YouTube videos and then the algorithm started giving you more.
00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:01.759
Giving me agriculture things.
00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:03.279
Here's a fence for a farm.
00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.960
Here's a fence for a barn or whatever.
00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:19.360
I guess I'm not totally sure to this day, like exactly what I love about it, but I just know when I'm doing agriculture things and I'm outside and working with animals, that's where I want to be.
00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.559
So we just kept going with it.
00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:21.120
Yeah.
00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:22.080
That's awesome.
00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:23.039
It's a great story.
00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:31.919
So so this all happened, and somehow you brought forth this idea, maybe, or a portion of the idea at a staff development session.
00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:32.399
Yeah.
00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:33.279
So Mr.
00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:39.440
Russ was gracious enough to attend my presentation, and the high school principal, Mr.
00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:40.639
Roberts, was there.
00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:48.559
And then they kind of came up to me maybe that day and were saying, Yeah, hey, what wonder if we can do something neat here?
00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:49.200
Yeah.
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:54.399
And so the next couple of years we were visiting different schools.
00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:56.720
We went to Royhart.
00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:57.279
Okay.
00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:00.720
We went down to Bolivar.
00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:01.200
Wow.
00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:06.720
They kind of had a program that so Medina and Royhart are FFA programs.
00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:07.279
Okay.
00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:11.840
Bolivar was sort of, you know, on their own kind of program.
00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:14.960
They had the their mascots, the Wolverine.
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:15.279
Yeah.
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:20.720
So the Wolverine Environmental Education Center, I think they called it.
00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:23.600
Absorbed a lot of different school resources.
00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:26.879
Yeah, learned what other people were doing and what would fit here.
00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:38.320
And then we went to the agriculture uh the educational foundation, the Easter Educational Foundation, and um put together a proposal for funding.
00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:39.759
Shark Tank proposal.
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:40.399
We love it.
00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:40.799
Yeah.
00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.799
And and you guys won.
00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:43.360
Right.
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:43.919
Yeah.
00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:46.320
They seem to be excited about it.
00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:47.919
Yeah, it makes perfect sense.
00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:49.120
It was a little daunting.
00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:54.320
Yeah, we had a lot of grand ideas, and they they said, hey, let's go for it.
00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:54.799
Yeah.
00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:55.759
Congratulations.
00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:56.480
That's awesome.
00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:01.600
So now I want to introduce our student guest, and that is Maya Reynolds.
00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:06.319
Maya Reynolds, we were chatting before we started the podcast.
00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.759
You honestly are a fascinating, fascinating student, and I'm so thrilled to meet you.
00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:18.480
So tell our audience a little bit about yourself and let's start with your grandparents in Idaho, if you don't mind.
00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:19.599
Yeah.
00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:28.640
My grandparents were potato farmers in Rexburg, Idaho, where they were farmers in the summer and teachers in the winter.
00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:29.279
Wow.
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:34.799
And they mostly grew potatoes and wheat because that's kind of just what you grow in Idaho.
00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.200
Yeah.
00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:39.599
They impressed upon my mother that she should get out of farming.
00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:39.920
Oh.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:48.960
But I can see the impact that her childhood in the farming community has had on my family and myself.
00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:57.279
My father was grew up on a farm in Maryland with his parents, and it was much smaller.
00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:02.319
It was more of a family farm, not meant to grow anything to sell.
00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:02.799
Okay.
00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:06.319
But he learned a lot of like important skills that he's passed on to me.
00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:06.880
Right.
00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:12.960
My parents met in Utah and then moved to East Amherst.
00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.279
I just gotta nudge a little bit.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:16.960
Idaho for your mom.
00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:17.279
Yeah.
00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:18.720
Your dad in Maryland.
00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.839
They they somehow get together in Utah.
00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.119
Oh, that's where they went to school and end up in Western New York.
00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:25.680
Yeah.
00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:31.680
My dad got moved to work for the National Weather Service in the Buffalo office.
00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:36.799
And we lived in East Amherst for the first couple years of my life.
00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:37.279
Okay.
00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.720
You know, that is a really cool story on so many levels.
00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.359
I love the farming story with your grandparents.
00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:46.559
I love your grandmother saying, hey, you got to get out of farming.
00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:47.759
And here you are.
00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:52.480
You're like the president of this agri sustainable agriculture club.
00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:54.160
You're so excited to be part of it.
00:18:54.240 --> 00:19:01.200
And and off mic, you were saying that you were inspired to make your own garden at home.
00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:03.119
Maybe share a little bit about that.
00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:05.359
It started before COVID.
00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:10.960
My dad, before we moved to East Aurora, had a cornfield almost every summer.
00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:17.440
And I didn't really think much about it because I was very young and there wasn't a ton that I could do in the field.
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:30.720
But I it did impress something on me that during COVID, when I was extremely bored and I had almost nothing to do, I kind of had an aha moment where I was like, oh, I want to grow my own garden.
00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:36.720
So I went to my dad and we went out and bought the tools and we started a garden that summer.
00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:47.599
And it slowly transitioned to from it being a dual effort to more of a I pick a theme every year and I grow my own stuff in my garden.
00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:55.279
And it's self-led and it gives me a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge pertaining to the subject.
00:19:55.519 --> 00:20:01.359
And it's kind of grown a lot of passion for farming and growing my own food.
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:01.920
Yeah.
00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:02.480
Yeah.
00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:09.839
And I I do love the whole idea that, you know, you're COVID, like everybody started a hobby and during COVID.
00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:12.880
My daughter was like, I'm gonna learn how to bake.
00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:14.400
And it's just amazing.
00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:16.880
You know, sometimes out of bad comes good.
00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:19.279
And and this has certainly been a good thing.
00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:24.000
I can just see it on your face, how how much fun you had working with your dad.
00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:27.279
And and not only that, but you have themes.
00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:30.000
So I've never heard of gardening with themes.
00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:32.400
Maybe just tell our audience just a little bit about that.
00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:39.519
I think one of the first years I didn't really have a theme, but I was just trying to grow the most exotic things that I could find in the store.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:39.920
Yeah.
00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:48.079
So I would my actually the variety that's kept through all of the years that I've grown is the golden cherry tomato.
00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:48.480
Okay.
00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:50.880
I found that I like them a lot more than the red cherries.
00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:52.559
I just picked them out because they were yellow.
00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:53.200
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:54.720
Um but you turned out.
00:20:54.960 --> 00:21:04.960
Just a little bit of experimentation has allowed me to grow my like variety and allowed me to kind of explore what is out there in the agriculture world.
00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:07.119
Another example is color.
00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:08.400
One year I picked color.
00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:11.200
So I picked up it.
00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:19.200
I went out and I grabbed the most like out there plants that I could find that would give me the most variety and color for my garden.
00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:22.000
Like purple potatoes, purple carrots.
00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:23.920
There are a lot of purple things that year.
00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:26.160
But it's very clever though.
00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:27.680
And I think I I don't know.
00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:31.599
I don't know anything about gardening or farming, but that sounds fun.
00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:36.480
It sounds like I could get behind like build, you know, having a theme around a garden.
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:41.599
And I bet you a lot of our listeners are just nodding and listening and thinking, what a great idea.
00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:47.200
And this is coming from you as a 16 year old at the time, 17?
00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:53.039
Yeah, I started when I was about 13 or 14.
00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:53.759
Okay, yeah.
00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:54.960
And 18 now.
00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.759
So I've got quite a few years of growing my garden under my body.
00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:00.640
Love it.
00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:02.960
So we're we're definitely going to circle back to Mr.
00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:06.160
Russ and the teachers, and then we're going to wrap things up with you.
00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:18.720
But as as we get ready to transition, you were telling me a story about your grandparents, about your your parents, and how supportive, honestly, they have been in your in this passion of yours.
00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.640
But what impassioned you?
00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:21.680
You told me a story.
00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:25.119
One of the teachers showed you a Google slide and you were in eighth grade.
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.640
Tell us that story real quick.
00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:32.960
My freshman year of high school, my one of the teachers on this podcast, Mr.
00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:45.599
Shelley, came in to my biology class and he had this Google slide presenting in the introduction of the Easter aura sustainable agriculture.
00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.559
And I was just I was kind of in shock.
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.680
I was like, wow, this is this is right up my alley.
00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:52.960
I love a program like this.
00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:53.839
Fantastic.
00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:56.559
And I just got involved from there.
00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:01.359
I have been on several of the field trips before I could even join the class.
00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:10.319
I was very interested in becoming a into a leadership position for this program.
00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:14.559
And I've just been kind of following their progress since.
00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:15.279
Yeah.
00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:18.240
And before I transition, there's a club.
00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:22.640
So d is the club open to underclassmen or is it only open to seniors?
00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:23.440
The club.
00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:25.039
I know the course is for 12th graders.
00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:34.160
The club is mostly seniors because it's much easier to run because it's you know run by the seniors.
00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:34.720
Right, right.
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:35.119
In general.
00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:36.319
Totally get it.
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:39.440
But you can get involved with the farm.
00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:41.680
You just have to come like ask.
00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:42.319
Okay.
00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:43.839
So an underclassman could help.
00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:44.319
Yeah.
00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:47.519
And also the farm itself is open to the public all day.
00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:49.920
We have a sign outside the farm that says so.
00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:50.480
Nice.
00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:52.319
It's it's a public farm.
00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:54.480
So you can just come in and explore.
00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:55.440
I love it.
00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:58.720
So I want to learn more about the origin story.
00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:00.160
So we're going to go to Mr.
00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:00.559
Russ.
00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:01.920
So this is great.
00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:13.119
So, Brian, obviously you uh are watching Ethan do this presentation, and you and the principal are like inspired to begin to make this grow.
00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:20.880
You know, tell us a little bit about that and and you know give us that overarching view of how important this work is for your high school.
00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:21.599
Sure.
00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:26.160
I was working with my student advisory group and it's students in grades seven through twelve, right?
00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:27.839
We meet several times throughout the year.
00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:28.240
Yeah.
00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:29.599
Just to talk about, right?
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:29.839
Yep.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.599
Just to talk about how things are going in school and you know, how can we make things better?
00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:37.440
And one of their areas of focus for that year was food service.
00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:46.400
And so, you know, after we came out of COVID, food service was was really, you know, in some ways they were struggling, just getting employees, the the supplies, and those types of things.
00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:51.440
So we were rebuilding our our food service program and our lunches and breakfasts and those types of things.
00:24:51.519 --> 00:25:00.000
And they just started asking me about can we look for additional variety in our offerings and also doing more like That's okay, yeah.
00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:00.400
Okay.
00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:03.200
I love that that's going on because people know we're really in a school.
00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:03.839
Okay.
00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:04.720
Sorry.
00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:09.279
Uh and and just looking for more like kind of uh farm to table, those types of things.
00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:12.880
We reach out to local like farms to see what we could bring in.
00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:14.000
And we do that already.
00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:19.440
Our our food service director is excellent and and does everything they can, but they're on limited budgets and there's a lot of challenges.
00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:19.759
Right.
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:21.920
So we said, yeah, let's see what we can do.
00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:28.079
So we brought those people down to speak to the group and and and we were making some progress in terms of making some changes.
00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:30.079
And then on our wellness day, Mr.
00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:34.000
Hansen was presenting and we stopped by to see what he was talking about.
00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:35.359
And I was really interested.
00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:40.000
It was right up you know our alley in terms of what we were trying to do in the student advisory group.
00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:42.480
And so I asked him to come and speak to that group.
00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:46.640
And even on the day of his presentation, even before that happened, Mr.
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:51.119
Roberts, the principal and I, we said, Hey, do you think there's something we could do with this?
00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:54.640
You know, could we create some kind of, you know, agricultural course?
00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:56.480
Because our kids seem to be really interested.
00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:56.960
Yeah.
00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:59.279
And he was really interested in.
00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:05.119
And before I knew it, I thought we were just gonna start with the classroom experience and then build the farm over time.
00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:07.920
But within four or five months, they applied for a grant.
00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:10.640
Uh, our educational foundation is incredible.
00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:15.359
They've been incredibly supportive of not only this program, but many programs throughout the district.
00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:17.759
And so it wouldn't be possible without their contributions.
00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:23.839
And so and that's the only way we really got the farm started so quickly because they gave us the money to get it started.
00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:26.640
And they just took it, Mr.
00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:27.519
Shelley and Mr.
00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:28.960
Hansen, and ran with it.
00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:29.200
Yeah.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:32.880
And so and then there was a great response from the kids, and here we are today.
00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:34.000
It's and it's just grown.
00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:34.319
Yeah.
00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:39.920
They just continue to kind of you know they're working on the like the business of farming, that's an important piece.
00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:40.559
That's right.
00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:42.319
So that's the classroom work that they do.
00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:42.720
Right.
00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:47.279
Uh and they talk about the research and the technologies of farming, that kind of stuff.
00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:51.599
And then they go work on the farm, which I think is the most fun part of the class.
00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:57.680
And they work with our chickens and plant our crops, and they've expanded to a uh a bee farm.
00:26:57.759 --> 00:26:59.599
And there's just so many great things going on.
00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:06.640
But it's really based on uh their desire to take it and run and the kids' desire to do the work and participate.
00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:08.319
So it's really just been a great experience.
00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:10.079
Yeah, it sounds amazing.
00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:24.319
So, Jeff, uh, you know, Brian was just talking about you know the the classroom experience and having your students understand the economics of farming, right, and some of the challenges and some of the celebrations.
00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:27.759
So I would assume you have learned quite a bit.
00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:31.119
And how many sections of this course are current?
00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:32.559
So we have one section.
00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:32.799
Okay.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.119
Um takes place at the very end of the day, eighth period.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:35.440
Nice.
00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:38.079
So that they when they leave school, they're a little dirty.
00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:38.480
Yeah.
00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:40.640
And the moms can deal with that with the laundry.
00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:42.960
I'm sure there's a few disgruntled parents out there at times.
00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:43.440
Yeah.
00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:49.039
But yeah, the big thing in the economics-wise is again, Beath, both Ethan and I are science teachers.
00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:49.279
Right.
00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:54.319
So we are go-getters, we want to build things, we want to experiment and see how things work.
00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:57.200
The business end was never a natural rush.
00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:57.519
Yes.
00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:04.160
So I will say that's the one thing that we had to kind of pick up the most on trying to figure out like what do you charge for things, how to market the products.
00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:08.000
Because again, we produce about 35 dozen eggs every two weeks.
00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:08.559
Yes.
00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.359
That we sell through shares within the school.
00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:14.480
We produce 35 dozen every two weeks?
00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:15.200
Every two weeks.
00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:16.720
For for 40 weeks of a spring.
00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:20.960
So not the entire year, but springtime we have extra chickens on board.
00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:21.599
Interesting.
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:23.680
Um, we raise brand new chickens every fall.
00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:23.839
Right.
00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:27.200
It takes six months to actually start laying eggs.
00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:27.680
Right.
00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:30.079
And then we actually sell for a profit.
00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:32.240
We'll sell them for like$25 a piece.
00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:34.559
An egg layer that's about a year and a half old.
00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:36.079
So you sell the chicken.
00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:38.960
Yep, we'll sell the chicken to someone that wants to start their own farm.
00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:39.359
Right.
00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:46.319
Um, every year we put out a Facebook posting and people line up out there with their dog crates and cat crates.
00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:47.279
Give me that chicken.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:51.519
And they they will pick them up for$25 a piece, which we put back as money into it.
00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:51.839
Right.
00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:54.000
So, yeah, right now in the spring we always have the most.
00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:59.839
We have to decrease a little over the summer just because we don't have the resources to handle that many um chickens.
00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:00.400
Yeah.
00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:02.559
But yeah, so we we saw the eggs.
00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:06.640
We sold about was about 45 pounds of honey this past year.
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:08.240
Yeah, and that's relatively new, right?
00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:08.559
The bees.
00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:09.200
Yep.
00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:10.240
So tell us about that.
00:29:10.319 --> 00:29:11.119
That's pretty fast.
00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:15.200
Um we have a local business masterson's garden center in town.
00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:15.519
Okay.
00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:18.079
Erin Helko, who's a substitute teacher here.
00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:19.839
Her son was in our class last year.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:20.160
Okay.
00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:24.160
We know her really well, and she is pretty much like the B lady of Western York.
00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:28.079
Anyone that's got a B question, yeah, Erin is the one that they go to.
00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:33.200
So she's been kind of like a I would say a third faculty member for the like three years.
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:33.519
Yeah.
00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:36.079
And so she set us up with five hives out in the back.
00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:36.559
Wow.
00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:40.880
We originally had them in the farm and they became a little distracting because the students were nervous with them.
00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:42.480
I was gonna ask that question.
00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:49.519
So now if you look when you drive in at the at the our front entrance at Eastora High School, on the left hand side is our farm, yeah, and on the right hand side is our bees.
00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:49.839
Nice.
00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:53.440
Our bees are right right at near the entrance, off tucked away in the side.
00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:53.759
Right.
00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:54.880
We have five hives.
00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:56.160
You normally lose a few.
00:29:56.240 --> 00:30:00.960
Right now, I think we've got two or three hives active this year, but last year was our first year with the honey.
00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:01.200
Yeah.
00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:10.400
And we emptied our honey in July and in October and have produced, I would say, about 120 little quarts of honey.
00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:11.440
Amazing.
00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:19.359
So we're talking chickens, we're talking bees, and what other really cool, maybe unique things are happening on this farm?
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:21.920
So we do have definitely tried to take both Mr.
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:24.640
Hansen's my expertise together.
00:30:24.799 --> 00:30:27.599
I'm really good at trees and forestry and items like that.
00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:30.960
So we actually connected with our old technology teacher, Mr.
00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:33.599
Schmidt, who has his own Christmas tree farm.
00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:36.880
We've had him come in last year and speak with the students.
00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:42.960
But when you come to our athletic fields out there, the far side is just a looks like an abandoned goldenrod field.
00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:45.119
Now there's about 130.
00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.519
What is happening here, Mr.
00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:48.079
Russ?
00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.319
You have farms, you have bees, and you have a like a Christmas tree.
00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:53.519
And a Christmas tree farm.
00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:55.119
Yeah, this is crazy.
00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:56.079
All right, tell me more.
00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:58.000
Yeah, so we developed the farm the first year.
00:30:58.079 --> 00:30:59.039
We planted a few trees.
00:30:59.119 --> 00:30:59.839
We lost a few.
00:30:59.920 --> 00:31:02.240
It happens with hot, dry summers and all that.
00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:04.079
So we're on our third year planting.
00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:05.920
They're now about a foot and a half tall.
00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:06.160
Yeah.
00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:11.519
But it'll take about seven or eight years to produce it, to actually make the live trees.
00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:13.440
Last week was kind of a neat moment.
00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:17.440
We've had a tradition here at our school that we go to fourth grade Parkdale.
00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:19.759
Okay, fourth graders, they're moving on to the middle school.
00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:20.160
Right.
00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:29.839
And the tradition has been for the last eight years is our sustainability club here at the high school donates trees for each child to take home as a fourth grader on Arbor Day.
00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:42.000
So when we were down at Parkdale last week, the some of my students that were presenting that are in this class kind of had this ah-a moment that these gentle these kids are seven or eight years out from being here at the high school.
00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:42.960
Super smart.
00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:49.200
So they will be the class that actually gets to maybe harvest that first set of Christmas trees.
00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:49.759
Yeah.
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:50.960
Oh my goodness.
00:31:51.200 --> 00:32:01.359
So, Jeff, if if somebody listening wants to just get a hold of you and talk about starting a Christmas tree farm on school property, how do they get a hold of you?
00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:04.319
So we do have a Facebook page where we try to keep updated.
00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:04.720
Nice.
00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:10.240
Um just look up Easter Our Sustainable Agriculture or through our district website.
00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:14.400
We're always posting events that are going on or such like that.
00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:20.400
Because you know, Ethan said a while ago you all went and visited different school districts.
00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:23.200
I imagine now people are gonna come and visit you.
00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:29.519
Last year, I think we had a solid maybe 20 schools cycle through here at some point.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:32.240
I know tomorrow we have Akron coming to visit.
00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:32.720
Love it.
00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:41.039
But I will say a majority of the schools in southern Erie County have stopped by Eastore in the past year to see where they can steal or what ideas they can take.
00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:42.319
Yeah, definitely back.
00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:44.000
Definitely a lot to celebrate.
00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:47.119
So, Ethan, I'm learning so much.
00:32:47.279 --> 00:33:07.200
I obviously did not prepare well enough to know all the great things this farm is doing, not only for your students and for you, I think, as teachers, but for the entire community and the young children at Parkdale learning about everything from you know the Christmas tree farm and Arbor Science and all that kind of stuff.
00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:12.480
So, so I understand that this farm also had cows for for some time.
00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:18.480
Yeah, so that project kind of started by accident last school year.
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:19.119
Okay.
00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:21.039
This should this should be fascinating.
00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:25.519
So I own some cow jumped over the moon, landed at the farm.
00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:28.319
Outside of school, I own some beef cattle.
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:28.880
Okay.
00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:34.400
And not every not every mother cow is as good as the others.
00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:38.799
So there was one that wasn't taking good care of her calf.
00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:39.359
Okay.
00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:40.960
And oh boy.
00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:51.440
I was kind of catching it in the pasture and trying to get it a bottle and then trying to decide if the mom was gonna step up to the plate or not.
00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:52.319
Wow.
00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:55.279
And then it kind of hit me, we should just take it to school.
00:33:55.839 --> 00:33:56.400
Of course.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:58.960
And I I think I texted Jeff.
00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:00.799
That's what would have been my first thought.
00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:03.279
Uh texted Jeff.
00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:06.319
He's like, sure, we're always I mean, that's one of the things about us.
00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:07.920
We just go for stuff.
00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:10.880
It's good that you checked with your teacher colleague.
00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:14.079
I did check with uh Bill Roberts, high school principal.
00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:15.519
Oh, there you go, there you go.
00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:23.039
I think he was skeptical, but he's learned to kind of go with the flu.
00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:24.000
So when did this happen?
00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:24.719
Recently?
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:31.280
So this was right before the start of school twenty night twenty twenty-four.
00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:33.599
Okay, wow, so yeah, a couple years ago.
00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:36.960
So that ended up being a surprise for the first day of school.
00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:45.599
Yeah, and the club, and it worked out timing-wise that we went out for class for the first day, and there's this calf out there.
00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.280
The kids must have fallen in love.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:48.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:34:48.239 --> 00:34:50.000
So her name, they named her Patty.
00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:50.800
Yeah.
00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:57.440
And just some of the coolest parts of this program are the things that you don't expect.
00:34:57.679 --> 00:34:58.000
Yeah.
00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:03.599
So uh we have a Bose's classroom in our building.
00:35:03.840 --> 00:35:04.320
Yeah, makes sense.
00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:07.840
They're work-based learning.
00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:11.280
Sure, high school age kids trying to learn vocational skills.
00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:13.440
And one of their teachers, Mr.
00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:20.639
Paulini, just kind of like hey, started coming around and asking, hey, do you need any help?
00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:22.320
And then perfect for the kids.
00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:25.360
A bunch of his students got into it.
00:35:25.519 --> 00:35:28.000
And so they ended up taking on.
00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:32.880
So this is a calf that has to get bottle fed twice a day.
00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:33.199
Yeah.
00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:44.400
So they took on you know, one of the bottle feeding and turned it into, you know, their therapist would come out and and kind of integrate their therapy into the whole thing.
00:35:44.719 --> 00:35:45.519
Super smart.
00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:50.880
So, and now we have a really good relationship with with his class and his students.
00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:52.079
It's so smart.
00:35:52.320 --> 00:35:57.760
And, you know, they're they're really valuable as members of our community.
00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:00.800
And they're learning super important skills, right?
00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:07.280
Even stuff like you know, working on occupational therapy tasks, you know, opening the gates and grossing.
00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:13.440
Following the instructions, closing, closing gates and mixing the milk and all that kind of stuff.
00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:14.239
Amazing.
00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:16.880
So just one cow was on the farm, right?
00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:17.760
That year.
00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:19.920
Oh, this is the story.
00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:22.320
It was it was so successful.
00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:22.639
Right.
00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:28.000
So we returned, we raised her through the school year and we returned her to her herd.
00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:28.559
Yeah.
00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:30.159
The other animals interesting.
00:36:30.239 --> 00:36:30.639
Oh, okay.
00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:31.280
In the spring.
00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:32.480
How did that work out?
00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:34.880
She's a little bit antisocial.
00:36:35.199 --> 00:36:35.519
Yeah.
00:36:36.239 --> 00:36:37.599
But she's doing good.
00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:38.320
Yeah, good.
00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:43.679
And then it this wasn't even we weren't even really trying for this.
00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:48.639
We just had two more mother cows that were not doing a great job.
00:36:49.280 --> 00:36:55.599
And maybe I think we could have tried harder to you know get their mothers to do a better job.
00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:58.880
But we then we have two this year.
00:36:59.679 --> 00:37:01.519
So they were just yesterday.
00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:02.400
They just left yesterday.
00:37:02.480 --> 00:37:02.559
Yeah.
00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:06.880
So the grass is growing, it's time to go back into green pastures.
00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:11.039
And so they went back to the herd yesterday.
00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:12.880
And so I and they look good.
00:37:13.440 --> 00:37:17.760
I'm gonna have to check that Facebook page to see what other surprises come come your way.
00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:22.400
My my farm business partner outside of school said, those calves look great.
00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:24.559
Compliment, compliment the students.
00:37:24.639 --> 00:37:24.800
Yeah.
00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:25.679
They did a great job.
00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:26.079
Yeah.
00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:28.400
And yeah, really great message.
00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:30.719
So this is just an incredible story.
00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:34.480
It's there's a lot of fun, but a lot of hard, hard work.
00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:39.280
And when you think about farming and all the work that goes into it, you know, there's the summer.
00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:44.159
And we we, you know, in schools work 186 days or give or take.
00:37:44.320 --> 00:37:49.280
And the summer sometimes uh you know can be an obstacle to do a project like this.
00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:51.840
How have you overcome the you know these obstacles?
00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:56.239
Yeah, I think we've all seen our fair share of school gardens that fizzle out in the summer.
00:37:56.559 --> 00:37:56.880
Yeah.
00:37:57.119 --> 00:38:08.880
We knew from the beginning, I think as I recall, our our visit to Bolivar kind of cemented the idea that we needed a plan for the summer.
00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:12.239
And so uh Patricia was her name.
00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:20.079
She she told us we have people students that come in the summer, and I don't know if they were paying them, but but they had a plan.
00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:21.840
So oh in Bolivar.
00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:22.559
Yep, yep.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:26.079
And so we reached out to the educational foundation again.
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:32.239
Okay, smart and and asked, can we fund some pay for students over the summer?
00:38:32.400 --> 00:38:33.119
Yeah, nice.
00:38:33.599 --> 00:38:35.119
Supervised by Jeff and I.
00:38:35.519 --> 00:38:35.760
Right.
00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:39.840
And they get internship hours, it looks good on a resume, right?
00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:42.639
And help us keep the farm going, improve it.
00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:49.199
Gives us a ch a chance to do you know little infrastructure projects like the first summer we put in some drainage.
00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:50.000
Right.
00:38:50.320 --> 00:39:02.000
We we also because we have the the student help, we invited a local nonprofit, the rural outreach center, RAC Center.
00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:02.800
Nice.
00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:07.199
And they provide a lot of resources to the surrounding community.
00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:10.880
And they have a summer program for elementary age students.
00:39:11.039 --> 00:39:16.400
And they came up once a week and did various farm activities with our interns.
00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:17.440
Really great.
00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:20.719
So that's sort of a model for what I think we can do in the future.
00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:22.400
How long is the internship?
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:23.199
Is it six weeks?
00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:23.840
So it's eight weeks.
00:39:24.079 --> 00:39:24.400
All summer.
00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:24.719
Yeah.
00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:27.440
So basically July 1st and the end of August.
00:39:27.679 --> 00:39:27.840
Right.
00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:32.159
And the students average about three paid hours a week.
00:39:32.639 --> 00:39:40.159
So it's we're there working with them two days a week, and then they sign up to handle the daily chores on our off days.
00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:40.880
Yeah.
00:39:41.199 --> 00:39:41.760
Nice job.
00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:49.039
And it helps us so we don't have to ramp down the farm in the spring and then get back in September and start wrapping it up.
00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:56.079
You'd never have a meaningful, you know, facility to learn and teach in.
00:39:56.639 --> 00:39:58.880
There's a lot, a lot to be proud of.
00:39:59.039 --> 00:39:59.840
So well done.
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:00.880
I really appreciate that.
00:40:00.960 --> 00:40:13.199
And Jeff said people can go to the Facebook page if they want to learn more, connect with you guys, because you're gonna get people touring and learning and wanting to, you know, do their best to duplicate a program like this.
00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:21.679
You know, as we wind down with you, Ethan, is do you have any you know suggestions for people listening who might want to model something like this?
00:40:21.920 --> 00:40:23.760
Probably start small, right?
00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:25.360
Yeah, when people visit us.
00:40:26.960 --> 00:40:28.239
You know, we're livestock.
00:40:28.559 --> 00:40:38.639
We're proud of what what we've done, but it's almost we wish we maybe had something a little smaller to show them, hey, you can just start here.
00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:39.519
Right, right.
00:40:39.679 --> 00:40:46.159
You know, start with egg layer chickens, yeah, or just start with uh a high tunnel greenhouse.
00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:47.039
Right, right, right.
00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:51.679
Because you don't have to go quite work on a nuts.
00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:54.320
So you don't have to go so crazy.
00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:54.960
Right.
00:40:55.199 --> 00:41:01.119
And uh there's a lot more acres here on the property, so I can't wait to find out what what comes next.
00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:02.559
Hey, congratulations.
00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:03.440
Really great work.
00:41:03.679 --> 00:41:05.519
So my uh work back to you.
00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:08.400
You're the president of the club, right?
00:41:08.639 --> 00:41:10.559
Yeah, yeah, and you have a team.
00:41:10.880 --> 00:41:15.519
What I'm really learning, right, is there this is a significant endeavor.
00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:21.840
You know, there you must have officers, you know, maybe give some attribution to your team for a moment.
00:41:22.239 --> 00:41:28.480
Yeah, there's a lot of work that goes into the Sustainable Agriculture Club, especially because we have a lot of money going through it.
00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:31.360
So shout out to Tyler, which is one of my friends.
00:41:31.599 --> 00:41:31.760
Nice.
00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:40.880
He handles a lot of money and he spends a lot of time working on the submission forms so we can have money going in and out of the club.
00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:47.519
Shout out to my other officer, my secretary, Mina, who does all the meeting notes.
00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:51.360
I couldn't write those meeting notes by myself.
00:41:51.519 --> 00:41:53.679
There's a lot to get through every time we have a meeting.
00:41:53.840 --> 00:41:54.079
Yeah.
00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:58.400
And then shout out to my team that does outreach, they do a great job.
00:41:58.639 --> 00:41:59.360
And yeah.
00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:04.400
I guess, you know, as a superintendent in a different district, I'm learning a tremendous amount.
00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:05.920
There's a lot going on here.
00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:08.880
It's obviously educational, but it's a business.
00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:12.320
And this business seems to be pretty successful, right?
00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:19.360
You're selling honey and you're selling eggs and you're selling chickens, maybe cows in the future and Christmas trees.
00:42:19.599 --> 00:42:29.360
So, you know, has that opened your eyes up to this world, even though you were already dabbling with gardening and you you had some background with your family.
00:42:29.599 --> 00:42:32.559
Has has anything surprised you in this journey?
00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:38.159
There's a big difference between a roadside farm stand and trying to market chicken.
00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:38.559
Yeah.
00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:42.320
It's there's a lot more work that goes into it than I initially thought.
00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:42.800
Right.
00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:54.480
You have the design of the labels for the chicken packages and the honey packages that BDD did for us, which is Blue Devil Design, which is run by the East Or High School students.
00:42:54.880 --> 00:42:55.360
Okay, so smart.
00:42:55.599 --> 00:42:57.599
So it's interdisciplinary, right?
00:42:57.679 --> 00:42:59.280
You're collaborating with other departments.
00:42:59.679 --> 00:42:59.840
Yeah.
00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:06.480
We do a lot of collaboration with Blue Devil Design because they make all of our labeling and our marketing.
00:43:06.880 --> 00:43:07.280
Nice.
00:43:07.440 --> 00:43:08.320
Super smart.
00:43:09.360 --> 00:43:15.440
Mostly just the idea of getting our products out there.
00:43:15.760 --> 00:43:18.320
Marketing was a lot more difficult than I thought it was.
00:43:18.639 --> 00:43:22.159
Even though I'm not part of that team, I see all the work that they put into it.
00:43:22.559 --> 00:43:22.719
Right.
00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:23.599
And how are you?
00:43:23.760 --> 00:43:30.000
Are you using, you know, the old Facebook, but it's probably pretty successful for people wanting to buy chickens?
00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:32.719
Or are you using Insta or TikTok?
00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:34.159
Or how are you getting the word out?
00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:46.480
Yeah, Facebook, because a lot of our buyers or consumers are the families of people that take our class or go to East Or High School, and that age group is typically on Facebook.
00:43:46.960 --> 00:43:47.760
They're not 17.
00:43:47.840 --> 00:43:51.360
So they we do a lot of outreach through Facebook.
00:43:51.679 --> 00:43:51.760
Yeah.
00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:55.679
And it it typically reaches our audience pretty well.
00:43:56.559 --> 00:43:58.480
Well, I've learned a lot.
00:43:58.639 --> 00:43:59.679
What are some big pieces?
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:12.880
Pieces that you wanted to share, maybe to inspire younger underclassmen to pursue this club or this course or or anything as it relates to the the science around sustainability.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:17.920
You obviously have a passion, you know, at home, and now you're learning about it here.
00:44:18.159 --> 00:44:25.199
What are some things that you would like our listeners to hear from your perspective on how valuable this is?
00:44:25.920 --> 00:44:34.800
I found a lot of knowledge and experience that I gained was through the summer internship that I do, as previously mentioned.
00:44:34.960 --> 00:44:44.880
It was a big player in me learning all about the animals on the farm and gaining a lot of experience with them.
00:44:45.199 --> 00:44:48.239
It also taught me a lot about responsibility.
00:44:48.400 --> 00:44:56.960
I'm I'm sure a lot of students know that in the summer without a schedule and without routine, you kind of fall out of that routine and tend to sleep in a lot.
00:44:57.199 --> 00:44:57.599
That's right.
00:44:57.840 --> 00:45:07.679
So with a farm and animals that are dependent on you, you have to wake up early and go take care of them because they can't do these things themselves.
00:45:07.840 --> 00:45:11.519
They can't open the feed bucket to go get the feed out and put it in their feeder.
00:45:11.760 --> 00:45:12.719
You have to do that for them.
00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:13.280
Exactly.
00:45:13.519 --> 00:45:20.239
And because they're dependent on you, you like have a responsibility to be there for them.
00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:20.559
Yeah.
00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:22.719
You can't just let it be.
00:45:22.960 --> 00:45:24.000
You can't just sleep in.
00:45:24.239 --> 00:45:24.559
Right.
00:45:24.719 --> 00:45:26.480
You I'm gonna call in sick today.
00:45:26.719 --> 00:45:28.639
Yeah, you can't just call in sick.
00:45:28.800 --> 00:45:29.119
Right.
00:45:29.440 --> 00:45:36.159
It just taught me a lot of responsibility for people other not people, but animals and beings other than myself.
00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:36.639
Yeah.
00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:37.440
I I love that.
00:45:37.519 --> 00:45:38.559
It's a great story.
00:45:38.880 --> 00:45:44.320
And do you hope beside listen, you know, you're oh, you're on your way out, right?
00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:49.280
And I was asking you off mic what you would want to study, you know, outside of high school.
00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:52.880
Maybe share with our listeners, you know, what are some possible paths for you?
00:45:53.360 --> 00:46:12.159
Through learning about sustainability and callback to the beginning of the year where we read a book about the impact of food on our food system, I kind of took a leaning towards food science and health science as my direction for the future.
00:46:12.400 --> 00:46:18.079
And I really was inspired by learning about food sustainability.
00:46:18.639 --> 00:46:24.400
So I my chosen major as of right now is food science with a health science emphasis.
00:46:24.639 --> 00:46:33.760
And I hope to be learning more about food and its impact on the human body, as well as food health and food science in the real world.
00:46:34.159 --> 00:46:38.000
Do you know where you might end up doing this study after high school?
00:46:38.159 --> 00:46:40.800
Like, do you know where you might go and learn about these things?
00:46:41.280 --> 00:46:45.360
Yeah, I actually going back to where my grandparents live.
00:46:45.840 --> 00:46:47.039
You're going to Idaho.
00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:47.760
Yeah.
00:46:48.079 --> 00:46:48.960
That is awesome.
00:46:49.440 --> 00:46:51.039
Circling back to where I came from.
00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:54.000
I'm gonna be living near them.
00:46:54.159 --> 00:46:55.199
It's gonna be a great experience.
00:46:55.679 --> 00:46:56.639
It's gonna be great.
00:46:56.719 --> 00:46:57.760
And what is the school?
00:46:58.079 --> 00:46:59.199
BYU Idaho.
00:46:59.519 --> 00:46:59.840
Nice.
00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:01.920
Oh my gosh, that is great.
00:47:02.159 --> 00:47:04.239
Uh, do you want to give them a shout out?
00:47:04.800 --> 00:47:05.679
Your grandparents.
00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:08.000
Yeah, shout out to my grandparents.
00:47:08.239 --> 00:47:20.800
They uh they set up a path a long time ago that I'm proud to be circling back to and bringing forth agriculture in my family.
00:47:21.119 --> 00:47:40.880
Yeah, and it's so important not only for right, all of the states, but for the whole world, you know, to learn about these, you know, to learn about the science of of food and how maybe, you know, we will be at a point in for the entire world that everybody's fed and everybody has what they need to sustain you know their own personal health, right?
00:47:41.039 --> 00:47:42.159
All across the world.
00:47:42.320 --> 00:47:42.800
So yeah.
00:47:42.960 --> 00:47:44.159
I'm very, very proud of you.
00:47:44.320 --> 00:47:53.679
I know you're gonna do an amazing job, and I can't wait to hear more about you know your journey and how this farm is sustained without you.
00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:55.440
Yeah, that's huge too.
00:47:55.840 --> 00:47:59.280
Happy that all my work is gonna go towards the future.
00:47:59.440 --> 00:48:05.440
I'm very proud that every bit of work that I've done on the farm is always for a greater goal.
00:48:05.679 --> 00:48:06.719
Yeah, it's so great.
00:48:06.880 --> 00:48:07.360
Well done.
00:48:07.599 --> 00:48:09.519
So, Brian, I've learned so much.
00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:10.719
I'm jealous.
00:48:10.960 --> 00:48:17.199
You guys are doing amazing, amazing things here in Easter Rora, and I'm just always impressed when I'm here.
00:48:17.360 --> 00:48:25.599
As we wind down, is there anything else you want to share, maybe about your, you know, your school district or how people can learn more about this incredible program?
00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:29.519
Yeah, so I'd first just like to thank you for for doing this for our community.
00:48:29.599 --> 00:48:34.719
Yeah, I think these podcasts are incredibly valuable because it gives us time to share what we're doing.
00:48:34.880 --> 00:48:35.199
That's right.
00:48:35.360 --> 00:48:36.960
And and we learn so much from each other.
00:48:37.039 --> 00:48:38.400
So I'm just so grateful for your work.
00:48:38.719 --> 00:48:39.199
Yeah, thank you.
00:48:39.519 --> 00:48:40.400
It's time consuming.
00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:44.960
Yeah and and we we can be busy in our jobs, so I know it's it's hard to find the time.
00:48:45.199 --> 00:48:46.400
So we're just really grateful for that.
00:48:46.719 --> 00:48:47.039
Of course.
00:48:47.280 --> 00:48:53.280
And and and of course, if anyone's interested, they can just reach out to us, you know, via our website or contact my office.
00:48:53.440 --> 00:48:55.440
We'll be happy to set up visitations, as Mr.
00:48:55.519 --> 00:48:56.480
Shelley said earlier.
00:48:56.559 --> 00:49:02.639
We've had a number of school districts come out to see the farm and a couple of other things that we're doing that are more a project-based.
00:49:02.800 --> 00:49:07.920
And I think what's so good about that is that the teachers really seem to enjoy it, but the kids really love it.
00:49:08.079 --> 00:49:08.239
Yeah.
00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:12.719
Yeah, they see a lot of joy in in their experiences in in these opportunities.
00:49:12.800 --> 00:49:14.559
And so we're happy to share.
00:49:14.719 --> 00:49:16.480
So if you want to reach out, please do so.
00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:16.880
Yeah.
00:49:17.039 --> 00:49:23.519
And again, you know, earlier we were chatting a little bit about the portrait of a new graduate with your middle school, you know, passion projects.
00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:25.599
This is a passion project, right?
00:49:25.840 --> 00:49:32.639
And it's really fits into the different pathways that I think the state would love kids to accelerate in.
00:49:32.880 --> 00:49:35.199
So you're really a leader, you know, in this work.
00:49:35.280 --> 00:49:44.079
And I'm sure there's probably many other things, you know, down the road as we get closer to enacting the portrait of a graduate that's going to be exciting here in East Aurora.
00:49:44.719 --> 00:49:45.440
Yeah, I I agree.
00:49:45.519 --> 00:49:48.639
I think Portrait of a Graduate is actually a really exciting opportunity.
00:49:48.960 --> 00:49:49.679
We don't know much, right?
00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:52.159
We're still we've still got a long way ahead of us.
00:49:52.239 --> 00:50:03.360
But I think these types of programs like are directly linked to what the state is is looking to do and giving kids opportunities to uh have more hands-on experiences, different types of assessments.
00:50:03.519 --> 00:50:06.639
And I think Yeah, these types of programs like really fit the bill.
00:50:06.800 --> 00:50:09.920
So, you know, there's a lot more to do in regard to portrait of a graduating.
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:11.360
We're still getting started.
00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:14.079
But like I said, we're happy to share if anyone is interested.
00:50:14.400 --> 00:50:14.960
Yeah, I love it.
00:50:15.119 --> 00:50:25.119
So for our listeners, don't forget if you love these episodes of Achieving Joy and Mastery in Public Schools, you can find us in Apple, Spotify, Odyssey, and so many more of your favorite podcast platforms.
00:50:25.280 --> 00:50:28.320
Until next time, thank you so much for tuning in.
00:50:33.440 --> 00:50:40.639
Thank you for joining us today as we explore the concept of achieving joy and mastery in public schools.
00:50:40.880 --> 00:50:58.239
We will be interviewing school districts in Erie and Niagara counties on a regular basis as we look to shine a spotlight on all of the amazing programs and practices essential for achieving joy and mastery with our students, faculty, staff, and community.
00:50:58.480 --> 00:51:06.480
This podcast is sponsored by the Erie Niagara School Superintendents Association, and we hope you consider subscribing.