Names of those in photo: Casey Muck- LISD TECH Center Agri-Tech Teacher (far left), Josh Papworth-BD, Jon Salisbury-Homeschooled, Kyle Golab-Tecumseh, Jacob Luty-BD, Brent Burnor-BD, Beka Gilmore-BD, Meredith Inman-Sand Creek, Alyssa Beauchamp-Blissfield, Nick Guthrie- Monsanto Representative, Matt Hensley- LISD TECH Center Agri-Tech Teaching Assistant (far right).
The LISD TECH Center has been selected to receive a $10,000 grant for a Variable Rate Technology Farming Project through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. LISD Agri-Tech program instructor Casey Muck and Teaching Assistant Matt Hensley accepted the grant on Wednesday, September 30th at the LISD Center for a Sustainable Future.
The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Farmer Advisory Council, responsible for choosing recipients, was impressed with the LISD TECH Center’s dedication to students and innovative ideas for improving their educational experiences. Schools must be nominated for this grant by local farmers to be eligible to apply. Troy Brown of Jasper, John Weidmayer of Clayton, Jeremy Addleman of Addison, and the late Charlie Burkholder of Onsted were the four farmers responsible for the LISD TECH Center’s nomination.
The Monsanto Grant will provide the opportunity for LISD TECH Center Agri-Tech students to participate in a Variable Rate Technology project. “Our Agri-Tech students are extremely excited to implement a Variable Rate Technology project here at the Center for a Sustainable Future,” Muck said.
Variable Rate Technology is one of the many areas of sustainable practices that students in Agri-Tech will have to incorporate with crop and soil sciences. The students will be working alongside an agronomist to pull soil samples for grid sampling. “This will allow our students to research nutrient management for our test plots,” Muck explained. They can take their research to evaluate soil types and nutrient levels that effects yields in the test plots. The information that students record from this project can be compared to the information received from Archbold Equipment last year during the soybean harvest and will continue to be used year after year in comparison.
The grant the Agri-Tech program received will help the students be able to develop a nutrient management plan that is sustainable, protects natural resources, and increases yield to feed 9 billion people in the next 35 years.
The LISD TECH Center and the Agri-Tech staff and students thank Monsanto for this grant and great opportunity. We appreciate the four local farmers who submitted the nomination. The students and staff are thankful for their continued support of agricultural education.
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