Start of 25-26 school year with Ecology

Start of 25-26 School Year

Ecology Lessons

Students helped gather native plant seed from four species on SCVTHS campus. Students then cleaned the seed, stratified (cold treated), sowed seed, raised small plug sized plants, and planted into the main courtyard located just outside of the Main Lobby. Students helped clean the planting area of exotic plants and two invasive plant species. 

Here are the after photos. Two pics showing the space after about five months of growing. There were several plants that struggled with establishment due to deer and/or rodent browsing. We will be trialing new species this coming spring for resistance to browsing and fill the more bare areas. The goal is to have a well covered and established planting that out competes non natives and non intended plants from establishing. We also want to educate students and local community of the importance of supporting local insect populations and how we can accomplish this in a stylized and attractive way.

Our Open House plant display getting readied for visitors. Above is the before caring for these. Below is after.

Students expressed interest in raising Butterflies from caterpillars last year. We decided we can do better by raising a moth native moth species. We found a golden bear (Spilosoma virginica) both female and she laid eggs for us. We have about 30 caterpillars in the classroom. We have learned about their behavior, feeding habits, life stages, and more. We currently have at least one that has begun to pupate and we will be overwintering these.

Above: eggs laid on a River birch (Betula nigra) leaf.

Finally, We recently acquired a no till seed drill. We were fortunate to get grant funding to support this purchase. We will be using this machine to plant native seed in areas around our riparian waterway to compete with non native species and help support a healthy water system.

 

 Celebrating 2024-2025 School Year

Awards, scholarship, biodiversity project, art project, FFA state convention, and a fundraiser helping reconnect with graduates. 

Students did very well in FFA Career Development Events (CDE's) at the state level this year. 

Here, our Fruit & Vegetable CDE team earned first place by earning enough points to win our first First Place Team banner which students are proudly receiving at NJ FFA State Convention at Monmouth University in May. One member of the four student team also took first place as an individual competitor. This banner is now proudly displayed in our classroom. 

One student, also on the Environmental & Natural Resource CDE team, again placed first as an individual. 

And our final top award this year was for a student placing second as an individual in the Veterinary Science CDE. 

We are very fortunate to have the support of the Bridgewater Garden Club (BGC) over the years. Ms. Lane and Mrs. Schoefield have been working hard with BGC to support further student post secondary studies. One of our graduating seniors was honored to receive this year's BGC Achievement Award. The student receiving the BGC Achievement Award this year will be attending University of Vermont to study Plant Biology. Students submit a written application, scholastic records, and a letter of recommendation. This is the 12th year and higher than the 12th recipient to be awarded. Thank you BGC for your continued support. 

The two photos above show SCVTHS's peace garden area located just outside of the main lobby. Students help remove exotic invasive plants as well as most of the exotic plants that were planted here. We left three exotics that are not invasive at this point, and for the most part, worked this space to be a clean slate to start from again. 

This project is a continuation of planting native plants to support moths, butterflies, and native bees (both bumble bees and solitary bees). In addition there are a couple non native plants that support generalist insect pollinators. Several species being planted on site were raised from wild collected seed on SCVTHS campus grounds by students. Remaining seed as purchased by the Environmental Club who also funded purchasing growing trays for optimally sized plants for this project. In addition, a collection of plants were donated by Sunset Farmstead and Pinelands Nursey both wholesale nurseries of Columbus NJ. Students got to work with Sunset Farmstead staff and plants to learn more about a small collection of native and pollinator plants and participated in a lecture presented by Pinelands Nursey to learn about the importance of using native plants in our New Jersey Landscapes. 

Using seed (collected from campus and purchased from a local native seed provider) students then learned how to cold treat the seed, plan for seedling development and nursing, and finish by planting and maintaining. Many thanks to all the supporters involved in this project: SCVTHS Environmental Club, SCVTHS admin., Daryl Kobesky and Carrie Stanker of Sunset Farmstead, Bruce Crawford of Morris Co Park Commission, Maria Scarpantonio graduate and Ernst Seed Employee, Steve Knezick of Pinelands Nursery. We have other projects developing for campus and will be sharing these as well.

Seen above are three Agricultural Science students of nine total that worked on an art project lead by our student teacher Ms. Khalid. Students were first given a small 3 inch square piece of paper to make a concept draft of their component. Ms. Khalid asked each art participant to draw what they see in their mind when they hear the word agriculture. Ms. Khalid then lead students through organizing their final copies onto a canvas and supplied art materials to complete the work. The finished piece will be featured in a Rutgers University display before coming here to be displayed for a short time. This project helped student ground themselves in between studying for their Agricultural Science CASE final exams. 

Our FFA Chapter Officer team posing for a picture during a break at NJ FFA State Convention in May. 

We held an Ornament Night fund raiser in December 2024 and invited graduates to come back and reminisce. Four graduates are pictured above. Thanks to Russel (Electronics tech), Elizabeth (Medical Tech), Jonathan (Plant Biology and NASA hopeful), and Kimberly (Vet Tech) for joining us that night. It was great to see them and others not pictured here. 

November 2024

 

November & December 2024

Classroom happenings and NJ FFA Career Development Event updates

I keep this blog to increase visibility of what students are doing. Please feel free to share with others that may be interested. Thank you!

Animal & Plant Biotechnology - Year 3

Running RFLP

Biotech students in the Agricultural Science program learned to perform a DNA fingerprint much like what is seen in TV crime shows. Students learn how the process works and then treat DNA samples with enzymes that cut DNA (restriction enzymes that cut only at specific DNA sequences) to provide identifying patterns ("finger printing"). Students run this procedure multiple times in their course and become proficient enough to teach prospective students at recruiting events.

Intro to Food, Ag, and Nat Resources - Year 1

First year students learn all general aspects of the agriculture industry. in early November students learned about the layers in a soil profile. In this photo students are applying their learned skill of soil texturing to a soil pit, and analyzing additional physical properties such as structure, structure grade, horizon depth, and color. Students build on this knowledge in their second year Plant Science course and prepare for state level competition if they chose.

FANR - Water Quality Testing

Soon after First year students completed their soil unit, they began learning about water in the environment. Here students are using data logging equipment to test water qualities such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Student then compare results to EPA drinking water standards.

                                       

Plant Science - Year 2 Root Anatomy and Physiology

Here students are setting up a root hair absorption simulation experiment. Students use dialysis tubing as a semipermeable membrane, with starch and corn syrup inside. They then place this dialysis tubing into a cup partially filled with water and iodine to test for fluid flow direction as well as having the pressure of the dialysis tubing measured with a data logger. 

Trout in the Classroom

Performance project testing trout tank water. We participate in NJ DEP and Trout Unlimited's Trout in the Classroom program. We test our water at least once a week for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total/ general hardness, and carbonate hardness. Here one of our upperclassmen is teaching the first year students how to complete one of the tests. Data from testing is recorded in a spreadsheet to track water quality trends.

NJ FFA Career Development Event prep

Forestry

Seen above, a Senior student is preparing additional forestry Biltmore sticks to be used to calculate board feet of a tree. Career Development Events are competitions students participate in through NJ FFA. There are many other aspects to the Forestry event students need to be prepared for. Some examples include: tree identification, disease and disorder ID, map interpretation, and a general knowledge exam.

Fruits and Vegetables

Above is one of four students that competed in the Fruit and Vegetable NJ FFA event. This student is practicing judging. Judging is one of three areas of this event along with identification of fruits and vegetables, and a general knowledge exam. The judging portion requires students to properly identify the item, and judge three groupings of five items and rank them in order from best to worst.  

SCVTHS Agricultural Science / Somerset FFA 

This is all of our Fall CDE student competitors. The group of four on the far right will be recognized as this year's First Place Fruit & Vegetable team (earning most points collectively) in NJ, with Kara Van Dyke taking First place as an individual. Congratulations!

Other teams/individuals pictured competed in: Turfgrass Management, Milk Products, and Forestry.

October 2024

                           

October 2024

Animal and Plant Biotechnology 

Third year students have completed their safety and basics of DNA units. We are now working on inserting a bioluminescent gene into bacteria which we hope to showcase for this Saturday’s Open House. 

Here, students are recording their materials, procedures, and results in their laboratory notebooks, very similar to what professional researchers in a similar environment.

Students arc using transfer pipettes during their gene insertion procedures.

Sterile technique is also being utilized by flaming the inoculation loop used to transfer bacteria from a transformation medium to a selective growth medium. 

Intro to Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources 

First year students have completed units in basic human needs, communication, and safety. We are now working on the basic science principles and will be performing two experiments to apply equipment use and communication skills.

Here students are learning the importance of both verbal and non verbal communication by eliminating the use of sight.

Plant Science 

Year two students have completed units in plant science industries, soil physical and chemical properties. We are now working on a hydroponics unit where students will design, fabricate, monitor, and maintain a small hydroponic system. 
 

During the soil physical properties unit students learned how to determine soil texture using a ribbon test. Students applied this ribboning technique to a soil pit and three horizons to determine differences found from each layer as we sample deeper and deeper into a soil profile.

January 2024

NJ DEP Trout in the Classroom in Agricultural Science!

We participate in the NJ DEP Trout in the Classroom program. We raise rainbow trout from eggs  giving students an opportunity to learn about cold water species, learn and practice maintenance, and use learned skills and apply record keeping to earn honorary degrees and awards. NJ Trout Unlimited volunteers deliver about 300 eggs to us in October. About half of these hatch. After hatching many do not survive the first four weeks. By the end of December we are usually caring for a little over ten trout. We released the trout from their basket last week (late January ). They were in this small basket since hatching from eggs. They now have freedom to roam our tank and get stronger before we release them in spring. We have a NJ DEP license to release these fish in local stream water. Students participating in this project can learn animal science skills and possibly win awards for their associated record keeping.

Farm Bot

With the assistance of a Perkins grant, we were able to purchase an automated system that plants, waters, and weeds a 24 square foot plot. Agricultural Science students are constructing this system. So far we have designed and assembled a planting box according to specifications. We are currently assembling the gantry components. This step is quickly showing us how well machined the parts are and showing us how detail oriented we must be to properly assemble for best performance. Exciting to see this system go together even at this early stage.

4-H and SCVTHS Career Day

With the help of Somerset County 4-H and Rutgers staff, we organized and hosted a career day event which was held last week for Agricultural Science students. We invited and had speakers representing animal science, plant science, and environmental science and art. The below speakers shared with students their career path, made suggestions on how to get started, provided s short activity. and answered questions. 

We would like to again thank the presenters for their time and sharing experiences with us. Presenters we would like to thank are:

Alex Friedman -Rutgers PhD candidate 

Dr. Andrea Freeman - Veterinarian operating Kind Veterinary care in Martinsville 

Daryl and Julie Kobesky- Landscape Architects and Sunset Farmstead Nursery owners.

Bruce Crawford - Horticulture Manager Morris County Park Commission and Agricultural Science program Advisory Committee Member since "beginning of time"

Melissa Woerner- NJ DEP Senior Biologist and Regional Habitat Planner.

Dr. Jon Higgins - Veterinarian operating Acorn Embryo.

 December 2023

Lady Beetles, Mushroom growing research, and a Farmbot! 

We have aphids and spider mite populations beginning to proliferate so students released some lady beetles this week to control both. We will take a look at the control provided next week and determine if we are seeing control. Next time this happens we will be more formal and do pest population assessments to quantify before and after predatory release. These are native convergent lady beetles Hippodamia convergens and they eat both aphids and spider mites. Above is a photo of the roughly 1,000 lady beetles released to begin controlling the aphid and spider mite pests.

One of seniors is working with a local farm (Martennette Farms of Hillsborough - recently named SCVTHS Business partner of the Year for all they have done for this program) to investigate using a sustainable resource for growing edible mushrooms. Our seniors choose a project to complete a mini-masters of science like research project. In the photo above the student is sterilizing the media to be used to run a pilot test and and determine some testing parameters and find out what easy mistakes we can fix to make the testing strong.

Finally we have our Farmbot construction project to share. We have been piecing together time to construct a box in our hoop house (as well as do some needed repairs to the hoop house) where the Farmbot will be stationed. A senior student is leading the assembly of this while other students are chipping in to sift compost by hand and fill the planting box with a sustainable and economical growing media. Hope to share another construction update early in the new year.

Happy Holidays and have a wonderful New Year. Thank you everyone for your support!

Mr. Fargo

September 2023

Plant Science September 2023

soils unit

Pictured below are soil samples collected from around the Agricultural Science building. I chose to elevate the learning and go slightly beyond the learning the learning objectives to include a question of: how do maintenance practices impact soil texture?

Each container is labeled to give students an indication of how much maintenance is performed on that soil's vegetation. Students performed a soil ribbon test on all five samples to determine the texture (sand, silt, clay components). We will be discussing in class how, or if, maintenance impacted soil texture results students observed. 

Understanding soil texture is important for optimizing plant growth and production. Knowing the skill of ribbon testing is a simple very hands-on filed test with reliability. Students learned how to perform this ribbon test and received feedback on technique. What type of soil do you have at home and is it an optimal match for the plant material? Ask a student to assist!