Starting this year at Rolling Meadows High School, new classes have been implemented  that connect to the club, Future Farmers of America (FFA). These new courses include Agricultural Biology, Food Science, and Veterinary Science.

FFA does not just focus on regular agriculture, it branches out into many categories, such as food evaluation, veterinary science, horticulture, and more. The FFA club also is connected to the classes that give students opportunities to compete in these categories.

RMHS staff Kendall Wright and Kirsten Raver teach the classes that link with FFA and are the sponsors of FFA. There are currently three Veterinary Science classes, two Food Science classes and four Agriculture Biology classes.

“In this club, students have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, compete, travel, and engage in community service,”  Raver said.

The Veterinary Science program focuses on the animals muscular, skeletal, digestive, and nervous systems and other basic information that would help students in their future careers. Students will learn basic information about companion animals, such as humane restraints, first aid, how to bandage an animal, and how to give a shot.

“I most definitely enjoy vet science because it gives me a hands on opportunity to work with animals and get a better glimpse into what my future as a veterinarian would look like,” junior Jaylon Golden said.

 The Agricultural Biology class teaches students about biology with an emphasis on agricultural topics. The Food Science course allows students to have the opportunity to learn about sustainability in and the production of food in a more suburban environment. 

The idea was started by principal Eileen Hart. Hart wanted to bring these classes to RMHS because of the importance of the agriculture industry.

The teachers of these classes also have a plethora of knowledge about FFA and agriculture. Both Wright and Raver grew up with horses and were very interested in veterinary science.

“I’ve always loved animals, and that is what brought me to the agriculture industry,” Wright said, “When I got to high school, I took agriculture classes and fell in love with other parts of agriculture, including leadership, horticulture, and the leadership organization of FFA.”

Raver has also had a lot of experience with agriculture. When she was younger, her family built a farm, and she also taught horseback riding lessons.

“We also owned a variety of animals such as sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, horses and even a mini donkey,” Raver said.

Since bringing in these opportunities, many students have enrolled in these high-interest agriculture classes. Golden says that he is excited to go on field trips to gain more experience.

Although this is a new program, there are plans for the future. The next plan is the upcoming field trips to the Greenhand Leadership Conference and the Seed Collection event for Willow Bend Elementary School that takes place at Emilie’s Prairie.