RIVER FALLS – The River Falls School District property at 595 Dry Run Road was a hive of activity Friday, May 30 during one of several Elementary Ag Days hosted by the River Falls FFA.

River Falls FFA Alumni members were also on hand to offer guidance, but for the most part, spent time observing as the FFA students handled things quite capably.

“All the fifth graders come out to experience different learning areas,” said Garden Internship Coordinator Tom Anderson.

In addition to learning about beekeeping, horses, pigs, chickens, natural resources, ice cream making, and machinery, students were given a goodie bag with coloring books, farm safety information and cheese curds.

The school district’s land is home to about 30 acres in crops and 5 acres of garden and learning space, overseen by the alumni organization. Members are able to help grow standard field crops, apples, raspberries, sweet corn and a full garden.

“We offer paid internships for students, which helps them get community service hours and maintain the gardens,” Anderson said. “It’s our mission to make it open and accessible for something they maybe can’t do in their own backyard.”

The FFA and Alumni took over the property in 2013. Before that, it was rented out as cropland. Five years ago, a student led the charge to plant an orchard on the property with funds from grants.

“That’s where it started, the garden side and more diversity out here,” Anderson said. “We opened it up even more, more than just during the corn and bean harvests.”

Now, it’s up to the students to create plans, manage the plants and crops and coordinate care and schedules.

“We’re just here to hang out and give a hand,” said Alumni Keith Gunderson.

Junior Morgan Matheson, who serves as the intern foreperson, was chosen as coordinator of the interns’ projects. She also helps to run the meetings.

“I applied last year, and I really like it,” Matheson said.

She took on the project of beekeeping, though she was nervous.

“I was actually terrified of bees,” she laughed. “I still kind of am. I call myself a dramatic beekeeper. But I love it.”

Other intern projects this year include growing salsa ingredients and canning it; growing lettuce, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and herbs for teas, such as chamomile and lavender; and growing flowers.

Matheson joined FFA because all her friends were in it. Next year, she’ll serve as the treasurer.

“It brought in a family for me,” Matheson said. “I could go to any officer and they probably know everything about me. All the events and competitions, it might be a lot sometimes, but it’s my life and I love it.”

Matheson paused to join the other interns in speaking to Westside Elementary fifth graders about what FFA can offer them. They explained that FFA is much more than farming: It’s about leadership, development, career pathways, public speaking and of course, agriculture. Students participate in speaking competitions, learn to judge livestock and dairy products, take field trips and learn about different career options available to them.

FFA Advisor and RFHS ag teacher Ryan Pechacek said RF FFA will continue to evolve to fit student needs. The organization, which recently won a Food for America award for its Elementary Ag Day program, does anything it can to promote agriculture in the community. You’ll find FFA members at Bacon Bash, River Falls Days, Smoke ‘N Thunder on the Kinni and multiple community events throughout the year.

“We are a student-led culture,” Pechacek said. “We teach life lessons and leadership. We focus on what can we do to keep heading this in the right direction. It’s career focused.”

Kids might not realize they can pursue a career with the Department of Natural Resources, or become a florist, an engineer or an agronomist. They don’t have to become farmers to benefit from FFA.

“If I wouldn’t have taken your horticulture class, I wouldn’t have known how much I love plants,” one student said to Pechacek.

The school district just approved adding a water source to the property, which will possibly allow the addition of animals. Prior to that, water had to be trucked in, gathered in rain barrels or donated by generous neighbors. The goal would be to raise chickens and cattle from start to finish, from birth to processing the meat, Pechacek said.

Superintendent David Bell was on hand, visiting booths and talking with students. He spoke to how many careers students can learn about in FFA, including engineers, welders, plumbers, even astronauts. His nephew is an electrical engineer who works in crop planting technology.

Junior Parker Sabelko, who was helping kids learn to make ice cream, has been in FFA since he was a freshman.

“I think it’s really entertaining,” he said as he watched kids play “hot potato” with a bag of ice cubes and cream. “They seem to be really engaged overall.”

Sabelko helped organize the school’s “drive your tractor to school day” and takes pride in showing kids what FFA can provide. He comes from an agriculture family who has a farm in Spring Valley.

“There are plenty of leadership opportunities in FFA,” Sabelko said. “It’s not just for agriculture. It’s a fun community to be a part of. And a lot of times we get to eat food and who doesn’t love that.”

Sabelko estimates that ¾ of the members don’t come from an ag background.

“There’s a big stigma about FFA being a bunch of hicks,” he said. “There are farmers and it is ag-related, but it’s truly an amazing organization where a bunch of people from different backgrounds can get together and make the world a better place.”
Student Neva Espanet agrees. She showed animals through 4-H and joined FFA at Pechacek’s encouragement.

“I was worried at first,” she admitted. “I never wanted to be a farmer. But now I’m on the Food Science team and I’ve learned so many leadership skills.”