Saddle Ridge Agriculture program

Saddle Ridge is the only school in Walker County offering Agriculture lessons... it's part of What's Right With Our Schools.

Georgia.

It brings awareness of the importance of agriculture, and helps them make the connection between farms and food.

8th graders can even take basic agri-science for high school credit.

The program is another example of what's right with our schools.

Natural sound: guys meet me at the fire pit.

Betts: saddle ridge is the only school in walker county that has agriculture education, kindergarten through eighth grade.

We are one of 26 schools in georgia that offers that to our students.

Brie: i like being out here because i get to hang out with my friends and it's just nice seeing all of this nature that is being grown.

And to see how far all the six graders of the school have grown.

And, lola what do you think?

It's fun!

Cathy: so many kids these days get stuck inside and spend way too much time on technology.

And with this year i was having to do so much virtual learning, digital learning i can't do my group projects i love to do in class as much.

So getting them outside we can do more things outside, and just getting them away from that technology and computers that they are pretty much in front of all day long even at school just because the way of the times these days.

Betts: so that just gives us a lot of opportunities to teach the children about where the food and the fiber comes from.

And most children think that groceries come from the store.

They need to know that farmers, that's where it starts.

It starts on the form and then goes to a lot of different progressions until it reaches the consumers.

And that's one of the messages we are trying to teach these children.

Natural sound: did you see that?

I did that was fantastic!

Kara: there are lots of benefits to having the kids out in the forest.

And it goes way beyond getting to enjoy nature.

There is different skills.

People don't think about that much anymore but it tells them when they aren't climbing a tree they are learning a lesson.

If they get so high and they slip they learn well hey i guess i must change what i am doing in order to make it to the top.

Natural sound: you guys received a grant.

Betts: the grant to build the outdoor learning lab, i hope will provide the opportunities for a lot of the students.

Not just our first kindergarten children or six graders or ag ed students but all of the students at saddle ridge.

So there are a lot of things that we can do with an outdoor learning lab or a covered pavilion, that will open up the opportunities for our students to learn.

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