Clovis East welcomed hundreds of Clovis Unified kindergarten and first-grade students this week to explore the world of agriculture.

The high school, home to the McFarlane-Coffman Agriculture Center, allowed young students to get a taste of ag in an exciting and educational environment.

The school visits — started 20 years ago — have expanded into a student-led fair with schools competing for a spot.

“Agriculture is an important industry here in Fresno County. We do this as a way to expose these younger kids to where does your food come from,” said Clovis East Agriculture Department Chair Jennifer Knight. “We’re trying to give them some exposure and experience to help them understand agriculture.”

The center accommodates a variety of farm animals, including goats and chickens, as well as a variety of crops.

For some students, this was their first time around farm animals. They watch cows get milked and pet baby sheep.

Stations, scattered throughout the center, ranged from animal feeding games to information about plants and animals.

The experience allowed for hands-on learning, creating a special experience that Knight hopes they remember and spurs an interest in ag.

“These young kids are super curious. I mean they want to touch, feel and see everything and they really enjoy interacting with the high school kids. I think it does give them an opportunity to say ‘hey, I could see myself doing that someday’,” Knight said.

For some, this is exactly what happens. Several students running the event and teaching those attending were once attendees themselves.

These pupils participate in one of Clovis East’s ag-focused career technical education courses.

Clovis East CTE Programs

The school offers many  CTE ag courses serving about 800 students: agriscience, plant science, horticulture, agriculture mechanics and animal science, for example.

The courses are open to grades 7 through 12, including high school students from other Clovis Unified campuses.

CTE emphasizes hands-on learning, allowing students to apply what they learn in the classroom.

Students can see tangible results and often participate in projects, such as helping raise livestock or making floral arrangements.

This is many students’ favorite way of learning, Knight shared.

“The overall goal is for them to be exposed to different topics in agriculture and explore them as career options, see how science applies, and learn some skills that could help in their future,” Knight explained.  “They could go get a job in the Ag industry right out of high school with some of the skills that they learn here.”

Students are able to get a leg in the door by joining Clovis Future Farmers of America. FFA is the largest national youth organization for kids interested in ag and leadership.