Oxford FFA receives national grant
OXFORD – Over the past three years, the Oxford Academy and Central School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter, has seen a resurgence in participation. Under the stewardship of agriculture teacher and FFA chapter advisor Crystal Aukema, the program has been revitalized and was recognized in September for its new-found vitality by visiting National FFA emissaries. The chapter recently has received confirmation it has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the National FFA Organization. The grant funds the chapter’s successful ‘Oxford Fresh’ project.
“Oxford Fresh is sort of a spin-off from a SUNY Morrisville project,” said Aukema. “The kids get to go to Morrisville and see what they have done there.”
As part of the Oxford Fresh project, students cultivate and harvest food in a greenhouse, using hydroponic systems. The students grow the vegetables in water, allowing them to experiment, and compare their outcomes with results obtained from growing vegetables in dirt.
Currently Oxford FFA members are rearing Boston lettuce, herbs, beans and tomatoes. The students donate the produce they harvest to the Taste N’ See Soup Kitchen at St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish House on 32 Main St., in Oxford.
“The kids have something about the project they really like,” said Aukema. The students enjoy watching the products of their labor flourish, but what they really enjoy is volunteering at the soup kitchen. “The kids like being able to see people eating and relishing what they have grown. I really think it is an important part of the project for many of the students, they take pride in being able to give back.”
Although the students enjoy many parts of the project, they aren’t always enthusiastic about the extracurricular homework assigned to them, said Aukema.
If the soup kitchen does not need extra food at harvest time, the fresh produce is instead donated to the high school cafeteria, and FFA members get to tell their peers they are eating something they grew.
The goal of the project is not only to bring locally-grown produce into Oxford during the winter season, but also to educate the students about the idea of producing it.
The students will be volunteering Monday at the Oxford soup kitchen, where they will be distributing their veggies to the hungry. The chapter is also brainstorming ideas for other produce they could grow using hydroponics.
“Oxford Fresh is sort of a spin-off from a SUNY Morrisville project,” said Aukema. “The kids get to go to Morrisville and see what they have done there.”
As part of the Oxford Fresh project, students cultivate and harvest food in a greenhouse, using hydroponic systems. The students grow the vegetables in water, allowing them to experiment, and compare their outcomes with results obtained from growing vegetables in dirt.
Currently Oxford FFA members are rearing Boston lettuce, herbs, beans and tomatoes. The students donate the produce they harvest to the Taste N’ See Soup Kitchen at St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish House on 32 Main St., in Oxford.
“The kids have something about the project they really like,” said Aukema. The students enjoy watching the products of their labor flourish, but what they really enjoy is volunteering at the soup kitchen. “The kids like being able to see people eating and relishing what they have grown. I really think it is an important part of the project for many of the students, they take pride in being able to give back.”
Although the students enjoy many parts of the project, they aren’t always enthusiastic about the extracurricular homework assigned to them, said Aukema.
If the soup kitchen does not need extra food at harvest time, the fresh produce is instead donated to the high school cafeteria, and FFA members get to tell their peers they are eating something they grew.
The goal of the project is not only to bring locally-grown produce into Oxford during the winter season, but also to educate the students about the idea of producing it.
The students will be volunteering Monday at the Oxford soup kitchen, where they will be distributing their veggies to the hungry. The chapter is also brainstorming ideas for other produce they could grow using hydroponics.
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