Wisconsin Ag Connection - Merrimac School Team Honored for Agricultural Curriculum

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Merrimac School Team Honored for Agricultural Curriculum
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 01/11/2013

For the first time ever, the Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom's Outstanding Teacher Award is going to a group of people, instead of just one person. This week, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau announced that a team of elementary educators at Merrimac Community Charter School are the recipients of the annual award, which recognizes educators for their efforts in teaching students the importance of agriculture.

The winning team includes elementary-age teachers Jenna McCann, Jamie Christianson, Nancy Toberman, Tracy Haupt and Kathie Thompson.

"This is the first time Wisconsin has had a team as our award recipient. It really allows our program to showcase the school's effort to include agricultural literacy in all grade levels," said Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Coordinator Darlene Arneson. "Teachers of all grade levels and subject areas, with the exclusion of certified agriculture education instructors, are eligible to apply for the award."

The Merrimac Community Charter School began a partnership five years ago with local master gardeners where students researched local produce, garden formats and took soil samples. Composting, food preparation and crop rotation activities grow each year as older students become knowledgeable mentors.

Near the school garden is a 16-acre school forest where students have been active in the restoration phase of the forestry education curriculum. And a fieldtrip to an aquaponic greenhouse in North Freedom first inspired the students to set up their own fish tank. Lettuce and other vegetables (shared with the entire school district's lunch program) now grow hydroponically from the top of the school tanks.

MCCS classes also take field trips to Ski-Hi Apple Orchard, Wollersheim Winery, Cedar Valley Cheese, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dairy Forage Research Center to learn about the diversity of Wisconsin agriculture. School-wide math and literacy curriculum includes mapping and creating a small orchard, pickling and cheese-making.

Meanwhile, the Merrimac team will be Wisconsin's nominee for the National Excellence in Teaching Agriculture Award and will receive a cash award to be used for agricultural resources or towards the National Ag in the Classroom Conference that will be held in Minnesota in June 2013.

The five teachers were presented with their award during a ceremony on Wednesday.

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