More than 180 students from Swann Middle School were treated to a University Farm tour on Feb. 8 that included sheep, dairy cows and a piece of N.C. A&T’s history.
But these weren’t agriculture students. This group, the largest gathering of middle school students the farm has ever had in a single visit, came with their language arts classes.
Kathleen Liang, Ph.D., Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Sustainable Agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, organized the tour as part of her $500,000 USDA-funded project to develop educational opportunities for N.C. teachers to integrate agriculture into their curriculum.
“For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, which is about food systems in America,” said Mary Ellen Smith, an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Swann. “The kids have been studying different types of farms and the different ways that food is processed in this country. It just seemed to make sense for them to experience that firsthand, to learn about local farms right here in our community.”
The students’ day included a tour of the animal facilities, including the Small Ruminant Unit and a glimpse at the farm’s Automated Milking System. Inside the Pavilion, they participated in activities that included a taste test, sampling organic versus non-organic and processed or unprocessed food.
Swann students prepare for a taste test as part of their day at the farm.
“Agriculture is something that's a part of their everyday lives,” said Smith. “When they can experience it in their community, that's important. And they also see the careers that are available to them. Some of them may decide to go to North Carolina A&T and I want them to see all the different options they have when they come out here.”
As part of the day, James L. Stewart Jr., head of archives and special collections at Bluford Library, gave a presentation called “The A in A&T” which included Swann Middle School’s recent namesake, Melvin C. Swann Jr., an educator who was instrumental in managing the desegregation program for the Greensboro City Schools in the 1970s.
“Lots and lots of notable people worked and taught at A&T,” said Stewart. “Many have learned about agricultural sciences and worked at the A&T farm.”
“This event is very important for these young people, especially since their school is only two or three miles down the road,” Liang said. “Many of them have not seen this, or any, farm. They don't quite understand the agricultural foundation in our community, right here in their neighborhood.”
