Hanford High School has for generations had a tradition of excellence in its agriculture classes and FFA chapter. It's a tradition that goes hand-in-hand with the community's agriculture industry and a tradition that many longtime local residents are proud of.

But Hanford High agriculture teachers believe it's a tradition that would be difficult to continue living up to without adequate shop and lab facilities, and without a school farm. It has been about two years since those teachers met with concerned local citizens to discuss remedying the lack of those opportunities. But last week, the Foundation for Vocational Agriculture kick-started its efforts again.

The Hanford Joint Union HIgh School District was recently awarded a $3 million grant for the construction of an agriculture shop, which would contain ag mechanics facilities, as well as ag science facilities. But the state requires the district to match the amount of the grant in less than a year, in order to receive the funds, said Kris Elliott, Hanford High agriculture instructor and FFA advisor. Also, the cost to construct such a facility -- the plans are identical to the recently-built agriculture shop at Madera South High School -- is $7 million. So, the district would need to come up with an additional $1 million on top of the match.

Elliott said that Hanford High agriculture teachers would like to see the agriculture shop built on the district's in-progress third campus. District officials have discussed potential spots that might accommodate the facility, but they have not yet approved its placement at Sierra Pacific High School.

"Really, the deciding factor is finding a match for the grant," Elliott said. "But given the economic times we're in that could be difficult, with the state budget the way it is."

The Hanford High agriculture teachers are pushing for the entire department to eventually be located adjacent to a desired future school farm, which could potentially fit near Sierra Pacific, on 20 acres at the Hanford Joint Educational Center, Elliott said. The agriculture shop is just the first leg of what agriculture teachers hope will become a multi-faceted agriculture learning center.

"Our eventual goal is to be at one location and for that location to be adjacent to a learning lab," Elliott said on Monday, referring to the desired school farm.

By building the agriculture shop and school farm at the Hanford Joint Educational Center, students would have animal facilities steps away from their classrooms and the ability to do hands-on learning projects during school. Without these facilities and application opportunities, learning is hampered -- especially since more than 80 percent of Hanford High agriculture students live within city limits and don't have the opportunities at home -- Elliott said.

"It's like teaching shop without picking up a welding rod or teaching someone how to change the oil in a car by reading a book," Elliott said last Wednesday, at the Foundation for Vocational Agriculture meeting.

But the $7 million cost is just to build the agriculture shop -- any school farm building would necessitate additional funding.

If the school farm were to be approved and funded for at the 20 acres on the Hanford Joint Educational Center property, College of the Sequoias officials are agreeable to temporary farm-type structures that can be removed in the case of future college expansion, Elliott said. The school farm plans -- presented at Wednesday's meeting -- are set up to encompass property that is not currently planned for. The school farm plans shown at the meeting included a dairy barn, a beef barn, garden plots, a greenhouse, a swine barn, a sheep pasture, a crop area and a show ring.

In addition to high school district use, College of the Sequoias officials have mentioned the possibility of joint use of school farm facilities. Also, VoAG Foundation members have several ideas about ideas for the farm that could benefit the whole community, from a pizza farm to a pumpkin patch, said Foundation Chair John Olivas. Olivas mentioned that any of the school farm plans could be scaled back or phased in as funding becomes available.

The Foundation for Vocational Agriculture was formed because a group of community residents believed the quality of agricultural learning in Hanford could not keep pace with the historical standards of excellence. The goal of the foundation is to support efforts to relocate the agriculture program and FFA to Hanford's new high school. The foundation is raising money for the funding of the school farm.

Olivas said the foundation is kick-starting again and will now meet quarterly. The goal of Wednesday's meeting was to bring key players -- from district Superintendent Bill Fishbough, to district agriculture teachers, to local dairyman John Draxler -- together to discuss ideas. The next meeting will be held on Feb. 11. For more information on the foundation, call 424-6724.\

(Nov. 19, 2008)