“If I could use one word to describe the tours it would be stewardship.” -Scott Horlock, Sycamore High School teacher
This year’s Summer Agriculture Institute (SAI) theme was Water, Agriculture, Technology, & Environmental Resources (WATER), June 14-17.
The four-day Farm Bureau-sponsored institute for educators was comprised of tours, speakers, and hands-on activities. All of the activities and tours connected back to this year’s SAI theme of WATER.
Teachers could earn either two hours of graduate credit from University of St. Francis or 30 professional development credits from the DeKalb Regional Office of Education.
This year was the first year for the Jeff Hartmann Summer Agriculture Institute Scholarships. Six teachers benefitted from this scholarship and were fortunate to receive financial assistance for the institute.
Ten teachers participated in this year’s Summer Agriculture Institute (Top row from left to right:) Pam Olson, Sycamore High School; Lynelle Lynd, North Elementary; Scott Horlock, Sycamore High School; Jill Henson, Southeast Elementary; and Jennifer Daskal, Sycamore Middle School (Bottom row from left to right:) Laurie Jacobson, West Elementary; Kristina Jordan, North Elementary; Kim Gudmunson, Prairie View Elementary; Dana Timmermann, Kingston Elementary; and Carole Kolzow, Southeast Elementary.
DAY 1
H2OLYMPICS
Laurie Jacobson explores the properties of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension as she tries to fit as many pennies into the cup full of water without it overflowing.
EXPLORING WATERSHEDS
Presenting on watersheds, Dean Johnson and Jeff Woodyatt from SWCD demonstrate the water-related impacts of different farming practices.
DAY 2
KEEPING THE KISH
Teachers learn about streambank stabilization and riparian habitats that John & Linda Begun have implemented on their farm in the Kirkland area along the Kishwaukee River.
MANAGING MANURE & MORE
Dan Hoffman, along with his son Ethan Hoffman, gives teachers the opportunity to see the layout of their hog farm. Dan & Ethan discussed various practices that are utilized throughout their operation including automation of the feeding systems and the temperatures of facilities. Dan also discussed how waste is handled on his farm to protect water quality.
SEWER TO SANITARY
While touring the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District in DeKalb, Assistant Manager Mike Holland informs teachers of the process of making water sanitary to output into the Kishwaukee River. Teachers learned the different steps that water undergoes from raw sewage to the clean water that is released.
STREAM SAMPLING
Ashley Broussard models how she collects samples to monitor water quality from different stream locations around the county. Ashley is an NIU graduate student under the direction of Dr. Melissa Lenczewski.
DAY 3
HAY RACK RIDE
At Byington Farm in Waterman teachers ride on a hay rack to see the cattle pasture. Many different conservation practices were showcased on the farm, including their rotational grazing system.
CATTLE CROSSING
Teachers also learned about the benefits of a stream bank crossing at Byington Farm. This means that they have specially-designed areas for their cattle to cross the creek in order to minimize erosion.
HAY, THERE!
At Frieders Farm, Ava Splear talks about their feeder cattle and what the cattle’s diets are comprised of. At her farm, Ava also gave a presentation about genetically modified organisms relating to current issues.
EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT
Ryan Frieders discusses various types of machinery that are utilized on his farm. While on the tour of this farm, teachers were also able to learn about conservation practices, solar panels, and genetically modified seed.
GROWING GRAPES
Alexa and Terrie Tuntland give teachers a tour of their vineyard. Teachers learned about an embankment pond built in the vineyard. The pond creates a more humid environment, allowing the grapes to produce more antioxidants. This environment also allows for recreational activities, wildlife habitat, and beauty.
DAY 4
WATERSHED WONDERS
Sycamore High School Biology Teacher Scott Horlock describes how he immerses his students in watershed ecology.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTLOOK
Wrapping up the institute was a discussion with three local panelists including agronomist Rachel Ratos, District Conservationist Aaron Seim, & farmer Berkeley Boehne. These three panelists provided different outlooks based off of their experiences in the agriculture industry.
Teacher Testimonials
“Our students will become better stewards of our county regardless of their future profession if they understand how important and critical our watershed is to our entire community including the agriculture community.” -Jennifer Daskal, Sycamore Middle School
“It’s very eye-opening to learn what’s going on in our community.” -Lynelle Lynd, North Elementary, Sycamore
“I already have so many ideas that I’d like to incorporate into my classroom for this upcoming year.” -Dana Timmermann, Kingston Elementary
