Grainnet

Manhattan, KS—Faced with declining enrollment and possible closure by the Newton School District in 2005, the school administration in tiny Walton, KS had one opportunity to keep the school open: turn it into a charter school.

Natese Vogt, principal at the Walton Rural Life Center, said the decision to become the state's first charter school emphasizing agriculture is nothing short of success.

The school, which had 86 kindergarten through fifth grade students in 2005, now has more than 135 kids, and enrollment continues to grow.

Vogt says agriculture-based lesson plans are terrific tools for teaching, particularly at a charter school, which features more autonomy than public schools.

Staff at the Walton School work with the school's charter advisory council to develop an agriculture-based curriculum, featuring hands-on learning opportunities that incorporate math, science, history and language arts.

Vogt, who has a special education background, says hands-on, project-based teaching is an extremely effective learning tool.

The results have been phenomenal: state assessment test results exceed the state average, even for children with special needs, Vogt explains.

The school's staff is exceptional, too.

Third grade teacher Kathy Murphy was named the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom's Teacher of the Year in 2009, and thus earned an expense-paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom national conference in St. Louis.

Each year, the Kansas Wheat Commission contributes $20,000 to the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom.

Teachers at the Walton Rural Life Center participate in KFAC's annual summer courses, learning ways in which to integrate agriculture into the classroom and beyond.

For instance, the Center has a greenhouse in which a variety of items such as tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and green peppers are grown; these are made into a salsa kit that the children can sell.

Kindergarten students hatch chicken eggs each spring, keep the chickens and collect eggs each day. A barn is home to three goats; the school's kids also have cared for bucket calves and horses on a short term basis.

A garden that teaches students all five senses is one of several on the school grounds, Vogt says.

"We have another garden in which we grow wheat.

"The kids are learning about the wheat and all of the varieties in the area.

"The Walton area does have the Turkey Red Winter wheat.

"We see it on the farm and we also grow it in our own garden," she explains.

The school receives vast support from the Walton community.

Each class has a farm family "sponsor" who works with kids and teachers alike.

Each year, the farm family hosts kids on the farm.

"[These families] do all kinds of activities with the kids.

"They work with the teachers specifically to find out what skills the kids are working on at that time and integrate that into farm visits.

"For instance, we had one classroom we were talking about nutrition so they made snacks.

"The kids had to go through all of the ingredients and find out what products were grown on that farm," Vogt explains.

In an era when agriculture is often misunderstood, the Walton Rural Life Center is developing well-educated advocates for agriculture, both in and out of the classroom.

"I have learned so much about agriculture. Basically we wouldn't survive without agriculture," Vogt says.

"We aren't necessarily trying to raise farmers.

"But if that is an added benefit, that is wonderful."

For more information, call 785-539-0255.

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