Nov. 18, 2024
WHAT: Agricultural science students at Burbank High School will host their younger student counterparts at the Burbank Farm for “Ag in the City.” The high school students have spent the last few months planting and rearing livestock in preparation for this event, which is bringing 1,600 elementary school students this week, 550 of them on Tuesday, for a day of science learning.
WHO: Farm animals, including goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, quail, ducks, and pigs
550 SAISD fourth grade students (of more than 1,600 this week)
Burbank HS National FFA (Future Farmworkers of America) organization officers
Bexar County Junior Livestock Show Ambassadors and Board Members
Shelby Parker, Burbank HS Agriculture Science Director
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
WHERE: Burbank High School - Farm, 1002 Edwards St., located within the SAISD sports complex, entrance off Boehmer Avenue and Lichen
MORE: Students will rotate throughout the day and participate in activities like planting seeds, making butter and ice cream, exploring science careers in agriculture and horticulture, and getting a close-up look at farm animals. Students will observe and have the opportunity to interact with goats, sheep, pigs and rabbits, many of which are still babies. They will also explore horticulture, food sciences, ag mechanics, and tractor safety, and leave with a book of facts and an experience that could lead them to a greater appreciation for where their food comes from.
Additionally, the Burbank students will be holding a food drive competition for participating schools, with donations going to the San Antonio Food Bank. The school with the greatest weight in donations will have a fruit tree planted on the farm in their honor.
About the Burbank Agricultural Sciences (BAS) Program: Students can explore careers in Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources in the BAS Program. Burbank opened in 1937 on the site of a farm with a focus on agriculture education, specifically animal and vegetable production. Today, students learn how to create their own business, grow and sell vegetables, plants, and flowers and raise small animals, such as goats, lambs, and pigs. They can earn college credit in high school and get a jump start on college and a career. Over 200 career opportunities exist within this pathway, including the use of technology and engineering. Many components of agriculture are involved in every part of our daily lives from the food we eat, to the clothes we wear and the air we breathe.
The BAS Program has doubled enrollment from 180 students in 2023-2024 to 365 students in 2024-2025, and the school anticipates a continued increase in enrollment. The agriculture science courses in Texas recently underwent an extensive realignment and sequencing to better prepare students for the future. The BAS Program offers courses in two strands including Animal Science and Plant Science. It extended to Applied Agriculture Engineering in the 2024-2025 school year.