The Bracken County High School Agriculture program utilizes 10 acres of land on the county industrial park to raise crops to help fund the ag programs at the school.  Through support from a regional agribusiness and a local farmer / volunteer, crops are fertilized, planted, sprayed and harvested to support the program.  This year, the teacher and program advisor wanted to offer a more “hands on” learning approach with the crop.  

The Bracken County Extension Service provided a training for each ag class to complete at their field visit.   Those included, yield estimates for the soybean crop which involved plant population counts, pod counts and seeds size averages and yield calculations.  The class was also involved with an environmental impact discussion with areas of the field experiencing soil loss with erosion.  Students were asked how to correct the erosion and prevent further damage in subsequent years.  Due to the crops advanced maturity, insect identification and leaf disease identification could not be used.  Students did look at perennial weeds such as Canada Thistle and Johnsongrass and their growth habits and underground rhizomes which showed how they grow and why they are hard to eradicate.  By increasing student interest in the crop, a committee will work closely with the extension service, agribusiness, and farmer to help make crop decisions next year to gain more management experience.