Perk of being an Ag Teacher: Summer SAE visits!

I wasn't in an Agricultural Education program growing up, so when I decided to major in Agricultural and Extension Education this whole 3-circle Agricultural Education model was completely new to me. As I was trying to learn all of these new acronyms, SAE was one that caught my eye. The concept of Supervised Agricultural Experience was mind blowing. Absolute genius.

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) is a one of three key components in an Agricultural Education program, and is intended for every student participating in Agricultural Education. At its core, SAE is experiential learning. Students get to plan, manage, and keep record of a project that exposes them to careers within Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resources industries, connects to what they're learning in the classroom, provides career/college preparation, and takes place in a real-world environment. Another important part of SAE projects is teacher supervision, hence the SAE visit.

SAE visits allow the Agricultural Educator to check in with the student and provide supervision, advice, as well promoting student reflection on their experiences. On July 10th, I had the opportunity to accompany Mr. Fellenbaum on three SAE visits around the school district!

Madison with her pigs she is raising for her SAE project

Maddie, Swine Production, Entrepreneurship SAE

At 9:00am Mr. Fellenbaum and I drove to visit Maddie at her home, where she is raising three pigs for the fair as her Entrepreneurship SAE project. The first thing we did when we got there was talked to Madison about how everything was going. Mr. Fellenbaum asked Maddie what she has done or learned about raising her pigs since his last visit. One of her pigs was recovering from an illness, so she noted that it has been important to make sure that pig was still growing and making up for the weight he had lost.

Preparing to weigh the pigs

I really enjoyed hearing what Madison had to say about her experience and see all of the hard work she was putting into raising her pigs. I have no experience with pigs, so this was all new to me! Next, Madison weighed all three pigs using a scale that Mr. Fellenbaum had brought along. After some coaxing and maneuvering, all three pigs were weighed. Then, Madison used their current weight and her records from the last time they were weighed to determine each pig’s rate of gain! Can someone say real world math?! All of this information was then recorded into Maddie’s AET record book. Maddie’s mom was present through the whole visit and shared with us how much time and hard work Madison puts into her SAE project. With the pigs happily playing with a new toy (a basketball) it was time to say goodbye and head off to our next visit.

Kenny showing us the ins and outs of his family's sprayer

Kenny, Diversified Crop Production, Placement SAE

Our 10:30am SAE visit was with Kenny, an incoming senior with a well-developed Placement SAE project. Kenny works on his family farm, where this summer he spent approximately 5 weeks spraying his family’s corn crop. He showed us his sprayer, which has an awesome built-in GPS system. He had me climb up in the machine and explained how the GPS system works as well as how it benefits both his family business by saving them money and time. Kenny informed me that he has his pesticide applicator certification and showed us how he safely prepares pesticides for application. Kenny was so knowledgeable about how to operate every part of the machine and its function, which was awesome to see. He obviously learned a lot this summer, and he even talked about how what he has learned on the farm connected to things he had learned in class! Mr. Fellenbaum didn't have to ask many questions during this part of the visit as Kenny was eager to share all about his experiences and what he's learned. I know I definitely learned a lot from Kenny and really enjoyed hearing him speak with excitement and confidence about what he does on his family farm. 

Kenny with one of the piglets

Then we went down to the barn where we looked at the pigs Kenny is raising for the fair. Kenny showed us how he takes care of the pigs and told us he has begun to walk them in preparation for the fair. Mr. Fellanbaum and Kenny also looked through his AET record book, and Mr. Fellenbaum answered a few questions Kenny had. After getting to hold a piglet and saying goodbye to Kenny, we left to go eat lunch.

Ryan showing us his tomatoes and eggplants.

Ryan, Vegetable Production, Entrepreneurship SAE

Our last SAE visit for the day was at 2:30pm with Ryan, a recent graduate of the Penn Manor Ag Ed program. Ryan’s Entrepreneurship SAE project was truly a sight to behold. Ryan owns and manages a large and growing produce business. He grows over 30 tomato varieties as well as bell peppers and eggplants on approximately 7 acres near his home. He manages all aspects of his business, which is quite impressive. He hires friends and migrant workers to help pick the produce, and pays them an hourly rate. The harvested produce gets picked up by a truck each week and is sold to companies like Blue Apron, Four Seasons, and others in the Maryland and New Jersey area. 

Ryan also works on other produce farms, which is where he learned much of what he knows now about produce farming. Ryan said he also utilizes his uncle, who is an agronomist, and Penn State Extension for advice. With years of experience and taking advantage of valuable resources available, Ryan was excited to talk to me about what he has learned. He confidently answered all of the questions I had about growing vegetables such as indeterminate vs. determinant plants, as well as various pests and how he manages them. Ryan has no intentions of stopping his SAE project and plans keep growing the business. While at our visit, Mr. Fellenbaum asked questions about what Ryan's plans for the future now that he has graduated and talked to Ryan about applying for his American Degree in the coming years.

The rewards of hard work - Bell Peppers!

I thoroughly enjoyed my day of SAE visits and getting to see more of the school district. It was great to meet Madison, Kenny, and Ryan and see how much they've learned through their SAE projects (as well as learn myself!). I'm really excited to student teach at Penn Manor and have the chance to work with students on their SAE projects in the coming year!