ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Public Schools is committed to integrating agriculture into its schools.
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Every public high school in Orange County offers it, and agriscience is now offered in 17 middle schools.
Glenridge Middle School implemented its agriculture program back in 2020.
On Glenridge Good Farm at the school, you will find chickens, a food forest, and students eager to learn.
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“They learn to cultivate plants and crops, both edible and ornamental,” Janet Glenn, the program’s teacher, said. “They learn animal husbandry where they care for animals. They also learn the science behind all of it.”
The agriculture program consists of three classes. Some days start with an inside lesson. Most are filled with the students finding ways to make agriculture accessible for all.
“It’s what we eat, and everybody eats,” Glenn said. “It’s what we wear. It’s our building, it fuels our machinery with biofuels. It’s everything.”
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Isabella Perez is an eighth grader in the program. She tends to the farm’s sheep.
“I thought it was really cool they had all these animals,” Perez said. “Here I get to work with a lot of livestock.”
Trent Kuczynski manages the farm’s quail, but the program has taught him more than animal care.
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“I learn a lot of hands-on things like pipes, stuff around what you need in everyday life,” Kuczynski said. “That’s what I wanted from this class.”
Beyond the assignments or chores, Glenn hopes students will take life lessons from the program with them when looking for a career path in the future.
“I was hoping to be a livestock vet,” Emeline Roesch, an eighth grader in the program, said. “This program sparked that interest.”
The agriculture program is always looking for resources to keep it up and running. To donate monetarily you can donate directly to the school for the program. To donate items, you can contact Glenn at janet.glenn@ocps.net.
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