Agriculture High School Grows the Next Generation of Wisconsin’s Ag Industry
In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Vincent High School of Agricultural Sciences in Milwaukee exposes students to the many facets of agriculture, opening the barn door for future opportunities.
“Our students come in with no agricultural knowledge, so we really try to give them the opportunity to see the industry in as many ways as possible,” says Gail Kraus, agriculture program specialist at the school.
Located on 70 acres in Northwest Milwaukee, Vincent High School began in the early 1970s with a focus on agribusiness and natural resources. The program was dissolved due to budget cuts in the 1990s but was reinstated in 2012 after several teachers pushed for the program’s return.
Kraus began her career in agricultural education and was given the opportunity to help rebuild the program with established pathways for students.
“A lot of people wanted this program, but they didn’t know a lot about agriculture because they grew up in an urban environment,” Kraus says. “I came on board to help find partners, look at the curriculum, and oversee the ag teachers and programming.”
The school provides several agriculture-based academic pathways for students, including agribusiness, animal science, culinary arts, environmental science, food science and horticulture. To support these, the school houses a barn with various animals and livestock, an on-site garden, hydroponic growing systems and more. In the past several years, Kraus says they’ve planted a forest featuring 2,700 trees, 40 of which are orchard trees, and purchased a freeze dryer.
“The forest includes a variety of hardwoods, and we have an arboretum with more mature trees,” Kraus says. “Students can get out there and see how they grow. For those who are thrill-seekers, an arborist would be the perfect job for them. We want students to find connections with what they like and what they could potentially do for a career.”
See more: Milwaukee’s Vincent High School Delivers Hands-On Agriculture Education
And though COVID-19 presented a challenge with virtual schooling, Kraus says it also helped enhance those real-world connections.
“The pandemic gave us a lot of opportunities to connect the lessons with what was happening in their lives,” Kraus said. “With less access to certain foods, we incorporated that into the agribusiness, culinary arts and food sciences lessons. We helped them understand the difference in cost of food during the pandemic and why it changed. COVID-19 also emphasized the importance of hands-on lessons. Students were eager to get back in the barn or garden.”
The school continues to provide those hands-on resources in all facets of agriculture, with lots planned for the future. For summer 2022, they are focused on growing produce in the community gardens for local farmers markets.
“Big news for us is that we’re getting updates on our facilities soon and hoping to have some horses that we can use for animal therapy,” Kraus says. “We’re also starting a flock of sheep, along with our current goat herd, to touch on all aspects of how we use the animals.”