Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 3 Fresh off the Farm In 2015, a group of Briggs’ faculty members applied for and were awarded a grant from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a farm at Briggs, part of the National Farm to School Network. Shortly after, Jeff Murrie transferred to the school and, in addition to his regular duties as a Social Studies teacher, gained the responsibilities of fulfilling the grant. He immediately became the student, submerging himself in educational practices involving agriculture. Since taking on this new role, Jeff is now a graduate of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Institute, he holds a certificate in Good Agricultural Practices from Clemson University and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, he is a graduate of the School Gardening for South Carolina Educators from Clemson Extension, and he recently returned from Shelburne Farm in Vermont where he completed the course Cultivating Joy and Wonder for Early Learners. Jeff has since vacated his former position of teaching Social Studies to fully implement agriculture into the Briggs lesson plan. In three short years, Jeff along with the help of so many in the community have taken a small grant and transformed it into multiple spaces where children are able to learn agriculture. The original grant helped to furnish the materials for a raised garden. “I have never witnessed students become as excited and engaged in a subject as I have seen in Farm to School,” Jeff said. He points out how students are capable of fully engaging all five senses while they explore and learn about agriculture - they can taste the homegrown produce, hear the bees buzzing, touch the soft new growth in the garden, see eggs the chicken lay, and smell freshly picked fruit. It is Jeff’s goal to influence children to engage with the environment around them. Clemson Extension’s 4-H Club helps maintain the gardens, chickens, and helps with the bees. The 4H Club is an organized group of youths, led by an adult, with a planned program that is carried on throughout all or most of the year. The club provides important opportunities for youth to learn subject matter and life skills. In June, a group of 4-H kids that attend Briggs raised tomato plants and basil from seeds, took them to the Pee Dee State Farmers Market, and gave them away to patrons while informing them on the importance of growing their own produce. Jeff is excited about future opportunities. Duke Energy installed a fruit orchard with peaches, plums, and blueberries in which they want to continue to add to. They also hope to add a new farm piece or livestock in the coming year and install a 30’ by 10’ raised bed that will be used to grow South Carolina cash crops such as cotton, indigo, corn, and peanuts. “Fifty years ago, most everyone had a family member involved in agriculture. Now it’s really hard to find that connection. The Ag classroom gets the students involved and they get to know where their food comes from,” explained Jeff. Reprinted with permission from VIP Magazine
3 Publizr Home