Student activity from the article “From Seed to Sale” from the July/August 2010 Our Ohio magazine.
Academic Content Standard
(Technology: Designed World G Standard: High School): Students will classify, demonstrate, examine and appraise agricultural and related biotechnologies including technical careers, system management and safety.
(Note: Key terms used from the National Academic Content Standards, K-12 Technology.)
Discussion points
- Read the article titled “From Seed to Sale” in Our Ohio magazine or online.
- Where is the Metro Early College High School located?
- What training are these high school students receiving for possible careers in agriculture?
- In the article, the students are discussing “black plastic weed barriers.” What scientific process are the students using? (Hint: look at the article.)
- What is the name of the program that “teaches students how to grow produce and how to run a farmers market?”
- In your opinion, is this a good way to investigate emerging and innovative applications of agriculture?
- Because the students work with faculty and staff from the Ohio State University, can they easily consult with experts regarding emerging biotechnologies?
- Describe how this high school explores the use of a combination of organizations to teach the production, processing and distribution of food.
- Where is the food produced by the high school students distributed?
- A student in the article says of farming “you have to learn to do it right.” Describe the factors of farming that you have to get right in the following areas: Safety, Solving practical problems: (ex. growing food year round), Genetic engineering: (ex. genetically modified seeds), Design application: (green houses, fish farms, aquaculture), Effects of fertilizers and herbicides on the environment, Codes and laws related to agriculture (ex. OSHA or the Ohio EPA)
- The farmers market was a project for these students. What types of career skills were developed while planning, organizing and implementing the farm market? Communications? Business?
- Did the student make any profit from their program?
- According to the article what did the school do with the money raised from the farmers market?
- A student at the end of the articles states “It’s a lot of work to go from seed to harvest.” What types of careers can this experience lead to for the students?
Hands on at Home or School
- Watch the Growing America video, which was mentioned in the article.
- Go to your computer’s search engine and type in “high school farmers market.” Are there other high school farmers market programs? Where?
- Geography: Look at the location of the Metro School’s farmers market and the Waterman Farm. Are you surprised they are located in the city of Columbus and not in the country?
- Using the OurOhio.org Buying Local Directory, locate farmers markets around the state of Ohio. Go visit one and see what they have produced.
- Ask the people who run the farmers market where their produce originated.
- What are the benefits of buying produce from a farmers market compared to the grocery store?
Student activities are prepared by Camille Kopczewski, who is coordinator of religious education at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Grove City. She is a former sixth grade social studies teacher for South-Western City Schools. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees in education.