The Alvin Sun (Alvin, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 26, 1970 Page: 40 of 40
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FARM .SHOP — Rickey Kubeczka, Glenn Crane, Robert Sarvls,
Fred Ober, Bruce Hopkins, Larry Knape, John Kocurk, Eddie Mer-
chant and Scotty Dobyanski of the Vocational Agriculture III class
arc receiving instruction In electric arc and oxyacstylene weldbig In
tlie farr.i shop.
BEEF CATTLE — Mike Forgy feeding the herd bull on the farm.
This outstanding Brangus tail! was loaned Io the Alvin FFA Chapter
by George C. Hardin Jr. owner of Poverty Ridge Farm, Cedar Lane.
Tlie Gill will be used for three months and then returned to Mr. Hard-
in.
In the past few years we have
had many changes in our over-
all state and national educa-
tional system. Many of these
changes have and will con-
tinually lie incorporated Into
our local school curriculum.
We are also aware of the
fact that we have had many
changes In the field of agri-
culture. From 1850-1930 there
was a rapid increase In farm
population In Texas, a small
Increase from 1930-1940, but
since that time the farm popu-
lation lias declined. Based up-
on tills trend, many express
the opinion (hat "Fa ntm
going out of business.
big could be further fi
truth. During the per from
1945-1970, just 25 y . ., the
total farm Income has In-
creased over 500 per cent In
dollar volume.
Few people realize that 40
per cent of the 60 million peo-
ple employed In the United
States are employed tn the
field of agriculture. Of the 40
per cent, seven per cunt are
engaged in farming, that is
producing farm commodities,
13 per cent are engaged In
supplying farm machinery;
fertilizer and other materials
to the farmer; and 20 percent
are engaged In processing and
<11 si i Hailing farm products.
Agriculture will continue to
employ a large per cent of out-
working force in the United
States. It Is predicted try 1975
In spite of our farm surpluses
of today that farmers will
need to produce 58 per cent
more lieef, 41 pel cent more
pork, 40 per cent more milk,
18 per cent more poultry, 35
per cent more eggs, and 40
,>< <ent more ve .etables.
■•a.sewll .»■ due totlie
■s. i population. It Is
i i ’ted ti> - we will have
Inb Unit- tos 230 to245
million people, about a 20 per
cent Increase over <air popu-
lation figures of today.
From the Information Just
given we can see that our high
school vocational agriculture
programs must lie concerned
not only In providing training
for farming, but also with pro-
viding pre-employment train-
ing for those students going
Into related farming occupa-
tions, These occupations are
as Important to our total ag-
riculture economy as the oc-
cupation of farming.
The vocational agriculture
course tn Alvin Is divided Into
three parts — Agriculture,
leadership training and farm
shop. In agriculture emphasis
Is placed on beef cattle pro-
duction, pasture Improve-
ment, rice production, swine
production, marketing, farm
management, plus many other
topics. Technical information
In agriculture is obtained tn
the classroom and the stu-
dents have an opportunity to
gain practical experiences by
taking field trips to a farm
and actually doing these things
learned In the classroom. In
addition to field trips, a 35
acre student farm is provided
which enables students togain
a great deal of farming exper-
iences. Also, the agriculture
student carries on a supervis-
ed farming program on his
home farm under the super-
vision of his vocational agri-
culture teacher. Among the
values of a su|>ervlsed farm-
big program In agriculture are
opportunities for a student to
experience ownership; devel-
op a sense of responsibility;
Invest and save money; com-
pete with others; and to keep
farm records while practicing
good farm management.
Leadership training is de-
veloped through the Future
Fanners of America Organi-
zation. The FFA is an Intra-
curricular activity having Its
origin and root tn a definite
part of the school curriculum
— vocational agriculture. A-
mong other things, members
learn through active partici-
pation how to conduct and take
part In public meetings; to
speak In public; to solve their
own problems; to finance
themselves; and to assume ci-
vic responsibilities. Also, the
FFA p r o v Ides opportunities
for students to participate bi
many activities such as: chap-
ter conducting contests, live-
stock judging contests, exhib-
iting livestock and poultry,
parent and son banquet, spon-
sor a youth rodeo and to attend
district, area and state con-
ventions.
Farm shop Is an Important
part of agriculture. The farm
boys of today are the farmers
of tomorrow and should be
trained bl the knowledge and
skills that they will need to
meet the mechanical problems
which the progressive farm-
er faces frequently. Todevel-
<H> the skills needed in farm
shop students receive training
in electric arc welding, elec-
tricity, correct uses and care
of w o o d w o r king and metal
working tools, repair of farm
equipment and the construc-
tion of farm projects.
FENCE CONST’ltlK T'lON — Members of the Vo-
cational Agriculture 11 class are building fence on
tht* Ag, farm.
WORKING CATTLE — The Vocational Agricul-
ture II class Is receiving instructions on the cor-
rect way to drench cattle for stomach worms, the
squeeze chute and scale combination being used was
recently purchased by the alvin FFA Chapter to
enable students to keep production records on the
beef cattle at the farm and on their individual live-
stock projects.
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Storrs, A. W. The Alvin Sun (Alvin, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 26, 1970, newspaper, February 26, 1970; Alvin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1215038/m1/40/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Alvin Community College.