Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is our career field of the week at DPS for the week of May 30th. Deshler is fortunate to have a strong agricultural program, and a new teacher and FFA advisor excited about continuing to build our program in Mrs. Juliana Kroeger. DPS also has a very supportive FFA Alumni Chapter as well.
From their junior high years up until their senior year, DPS students have the opportunity to be exposed to careers and educational opportunities in agriculture. In seventh grade, students take a nine-week exploratory course in Junior High Intro to Ag, Food and Natural Resources, and can join our junior high FFA chapter. In eighth grade, students have another nine-week exploratory course, as well as the opportunity to join our FFA Chapter.
Entering high school, students are given the opportunity to follow an agricultural career cluster which includes classes such as:
Introductory Course: High School Intro to Ag, Food & Natural Resources
Intermediate Courses: Intro to Welding, Power & Tech I, Plant Science, Animal Science, Intro to CNC with Reinkes Manufacturing
Capstone Courses: Power & Tech II, AgriBusiness and Leadership, Welding II with Reinkes Manufacturing and CNC with Reinkes Manufacturing, Veterinary Science, Agronomy
The Deshler FFA Chapter is also working with the FFA Alumni Chapter to build a greenhouse attached to our school building. We are also exploring crop plot opportunities near the school, as well as supporting the building of our Beef in the Schools Program. Students compete in a variety of FFA competitions including:
Range Judging
Land Judging
Livestock Judging
Career and Leadership Development competitions in many agricultural fields, such as: speaking contests, parliamentary procedure, welding, agronomy, vet science, livestock management, range judging, and poultry judging.
This year, high school students will be bringing education to the younger students as they will be giving lessons to our elementary students on the days where we feature homegrown beef in our schools, thanks to local beef and cash donations to this cause.
Students interested in continuing their education in agriculture have the opportunity to take dual credit courses offered through Southeast Community College, to meet general education requirements while still in high school. HERE is a link illustrating that six of the eight general education credits could be met while still in high school, as well as taking courses online specific to a student’s pathway of interest, with a proctor on site to assist students in their coursework. Below are some of the courses that students could take during their junior and senior years:
If you have questions about our agricultural program or FFA chapter, or you would like to support students interested in agriculture as a career as they take dual credit courses, or even to take part in an agriculture-based mentorship or internship for our students in their supervised agricultural experiences, we would encourage you to reach out to our FFA advisor and Ag instructor, Mrs. Juliana Kroeger, at juliana.kroeger@deshlerdragons.org or Secondary Principal Dana Epley, at dana.epley@deshlerdragons.org or by calling the jr. - sr. high school at 402-365-7272.