Rewarded for agriculture knowledge

Times Reporter   

 

Eight students from Strathmore High School (SHS) were awarded for their knowledge of the agriculture industry after participating in the Green Certificate program. 

The program is an industry-driven training program offered to students that provides them with the option of learning about a variety of agriculture related topics through structured learning as part of the senior high program. It is available for students in Grades 10-12, and upon completion, the student gets 17 credits towards the 100 needed to graduate. 

The students who take part in the program usually have a background in agriculture, and so they are taking the knowledge they already know and have grown up with and are applying that to the program. 

“That’s the neat thing is I get to say to kids, we can reward you for the knowledge you have just by virtue of doing your chores everyday,” said Karen Harris, a counselor and teacher at the SHS.

“It encourages kids first of all to know about safety, especially agricultural safety, making sure they are safe on the farm or the ranch or wherever, and then there are very specific areas of study that focus in on their area of specialization.”

The Green Certificate program is completed at home and costs $1,008. Once the student successfully completes the program they get the money back. Upon completion the students also have the option of going to Australia on a farm exchange, and will be able to list the training to help them find future jobs in agriculture.

There are nine categories students can be tested on: cow/calf, feedlot, swine, irrigated crop, field crop, dairy, sheep, equine and beekeeping. At SHS no one has taken the beekeeping, dairy or swine programs to date.  

This year, for the first time since the program came to the school, two students, Chancey Guichon and Jason Wilson have completed two of the programs, both in cow/calf and feedlot.

“I took cow/calf because that’s what me and my dad do together and I think feedlots are an important part of our industry so I wanted to learn more about them,” said Guichon.

“If there was knowledge I didn’t already know then it might be nice to learn about it. I think it is awesome and people should take it if they are interested in it.”

Wilson said he took part because it was something that kept him busy. 

“It just to give more options to kids that might not like options that were given previous to them,” said Wilson about the program. 

“It was a good program, it was fairly easy if you know what you’re talking about,” said Braden Walker who also took cow/calf. 

“I am glad it exists because it is an easy way to get some credits and show what you know.”

Zane Dahl also took the cow/calf portion. He thought it was good, but also easy because it is something that he does on a regular basis. 

Joel Chizmazia participated in field crop, stating that it was pretty easy because he too already knew most of what was discussed. 

Dawn Carlson took the equine program. She has worked with horses her whole life, and thought it was nice to be acknowledged for the knowledge she has. 

“I think it is good program, kids … don’t get this option as an actual class,” said Carlson.

While the students may not have had much to say, Harris was happy to see each of them participate in the program. She believes they will go on to be successful farmers and ranchers because that is what they know and love. 

Wace Pallesen and Denver Johnson were missing the day of the interview, but both also completed the cow/calf section of the Green Certificate program.