TITLE SPONSOR: Sow Right Seeds
PREMIER SPONSOR: Home Fresh® Poultry Feeds (Kent Nutrition Group)
Agriculture teacher Kimberly Haire talks with Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good host Lisa Munniksma about what it’s like to teach Bullitt Lick Middle School students in Kentucky about growing food while she expands her own farming knowledge.
Hear about how Kimberly uses the foundations of agriculture, local and global food systems, and hands-on work to get sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students excited about coming to class. In one of the most tangible examples of demonstrating the impact of agriculture, the lettuce and radishes on the menu for Bullitt Central High School’s scholarship fundraising dinner came from these students’ work. This new program is in its startup stages, with a greenhouse and a new egg incubator, and Kimberly is looking for grants and funding for a larger greenhouse and other infrastructure to continue to grow and improve the program. Listen to how Kimberly, as an agriculture teacher. has tapped into community resources, like the county 4-H program and local farms and agritourism locations, to still provide experiences and opportunities for the students that their small budget can’t provide.
Kimberly talks about her personal interest and experience in producing food, why this work is important to her, and what it was like to transition from her career as an English teacher into agriculture as part of the school system’s unified arts curriculum. Keep listening to get Kimberly’s advice for capturing middle-school students’ interest in food and farming, using their limited attention spans to your advantage.
At the end of the episode, Kimberly describes an incredible meal straight from her garden, and Lisa talks about her favorite farm meal, as well.
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This podcast about agriculture teacher, Kimberly Haire was made for Hobby Farms magazine online. Click here to subscribe to Hobby Farms print magazine.