Clay Center High School Display |
Eight Kansas high schools
-- Osage City, Tipton, McPherson, Goessel, Clay Center, and Scott City--
participated in an Environmental Education project provided by the
Environmental Protection Agency along with No-Till on the Plains, Inc.
Project goals were to educate young people, teachers, and the general
agricultural community about the benefits of food products produced
through a no-till cropping system that preserves the environment and
conserves resources. No-till producers are committed to maintaining the
quality of resources in their care so future generations can continue with
a farming system that creates a more habitable planet.
High schools classes took pre-assessment
tests to measure their no-till knowledge before beginning their
study. The students then researched no-till farming on the internet
as well as materials provided by NTOP. An important step in the
research process was a class visit to local no-till farmers. Keith
Thompson, Doug Palen, Joe Swanson, Rod Peters, Josh Lloyd, Jack Schmit,
Dean Suderman, and Craig Ewy provided an excellent hands-on
educational experience at their farms for students where they were
allowed to see no-till crops and equipment as well as ask pertinent
questions. Based on their research, students then prepared
PowerPoint presentations highlighting their findings which are now
featured on the No-Till website at www.notill.org as well as large
display boards that have been placed in a prominent location within
their communities. Students finished up their project by taking
post-assessment tests which measured the amount of learning that they
achieved regarding no-till practices.
The schools were awarded $800 for their
participation in this project, and the students and instructors have
been invited to the 2006 Winter Conference in Salina to display their
PowerPoint presentations and display boards.
No-Till on the Plains would like to thank
EPA for providing this funding opportunity, the participating students
and instructors, and the participating producers for hosting students
on their farms.
Two additional Kansas high schools will
have the opportunity to participate in this program during the fall of
2005. In addition, five Oklahoma high schools will be selected this
fall to participate in the “Friendly Farms” program with funding
provided from the Kerr Foundation in Oklahoma.
Today,
estimates from USDA and the Conservation Technology Information Center
reflect that Kansas reported 4.2 million acres or 21.2% of all
cropland planted no-till in 2004 versus 3.4 million acres in 2002.
Much of the progress made is due to the work of No-Till on the Plains
and the events and programs it sponsors
No-Till on the Plains is a regional
organization which educates approximately 3000 people per year through
the Leading Edge magazine, various events such as the annual
Winter Conference, summer tours and events, and the yearly South
Dakota Bus Tour. For more information, contact NTOP at (888) 330-5142
or www.notill.org.
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