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FFA, Agriculture, and Clean Water in Lancaster · Clean Water Conversations

0:02
SPEAKER_03: Season 5 of Cleanwater Conversations is sponsored by RKK.
0:06
SPEAKER_03: RKK is a full-service design and engineering firm that provides innovative solutions to complex challenges.
0:12
SPEAKER_03: As a recognized leader in state and municipal stormwater management, MS4 permit compliance, stream restoration, and ecological design services, RKK is ready to deliver community-focused water quality improvements to urban and suburban communities.
0:28
SPEAKER_03: Check out more information about RKK at rkk.com.
0:31
SPEAKER_03: Thank you, RKK.
0:33
SPEAKER_03: And now, on to our show.
1:08
SPEAKER_02: It hurt to go outside for a little while.
1:10
SPEAKER_02: That cold was so intense.
1:13
SPEAKER_02: I think there's finally melting, right?
1:15
SPEAKER_03: Yes, finally.
1:16
SPEAKER_03: But that was a lot of that was more snow than I've seen in probably 30 years.
1:20
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
1:21
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:21
SPEAKER_03: Wow.
1:22
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
1:22
SPEAKER_03: It's a lot.
1:23
SPEAKER_03: It's a lot.
1:24
SPEAKER_03: And and it it's been holding up some of our projects.
1:27
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, definitely.
1:28
SPEAKER_02: Between snow and changes in technical assistance schedule and availability, those are all realities for projects right now.
1:35
SPEAKER_03: So now the snow is melting.
1:36
SPEAKER_03: So they're able to move forward.
1:38
SPEAKER_02: And we're really excited about all the demand for conservation.
1:42
SPEAKER_02: There's so many projects that are in the works, and there's so many dollars that are in use and committed to this work.
1:50
SPEAKER_02: So we're just really grateful for the way that our partner organizations are leading that effort to get conservation on the ground.
1:57
SPEAKER_02: And this is going to be a really busy, exciting spring.
2:00
SPEAKER_02: So be on the lookout for lots more success stories.
2:02
SPEAKER_03: Very true, very true.
2:03
SPEAKER_03: What other success stories do you have?
2:06
SPEAKER_02: I would say that some of our successes recently have been catchment meetings.
2:12
SPEAKER_02: There's been a lot of success with people participating in all four watersheds.
2:16
SPEAKER_02: And the winter is a great time for outreach, landowner engagement, understanding what a plan may need for manure management, for conservation planning.
2:26
SPEAKER_02: So it yeah, catchment meetings have brought a lot of new new news to the forefront.
2:33
SPEAKER_02: So how about you, Ken?
2:34
SPEAKER_02: What successes?
2:36
SPEAKER_03: I think one of one of these biggest successes that I'm celebrating is we have new teammates on the backbone staff.
2:44
SPEAKER_03: The studio audience loves them.
2:46
SPEAKER_03: Of course they do.
2:48
SPEAKER_03: Two that I can point out right now are Michael Mantooth, who is the director of projects, and Erica Faulkner, who is the network coordinator.
2:57
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
2:58
SPEAKER_03: And you are going to be seeing and hearing from them a lot in the upcoming future.
3:03
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
3:03
SPEAKER_03: Welcome to our new.
3:07
SPEAKER_03: In the future.
3:08
SPEAKER_03: In the future.
3:10
SPEAKER_02: Welcome, Erica and Michael.
3:12
SPEAKER_02: We're so excited to have you.
3:13
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and we also have some really cool upcoming things.
3:17
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
3:17
SPEAKER_02: The future holds many things with the Clean Water Partners.
3:21
SPEAKER_03: I am particularly looking forward to the year interview.
3:24
SPEAKER_03: We are getting close to being able to finish it.
3:26
SPEAKER_03: And 2025 was a very interesting year to report on.
3:31
SPEAKER_02: You all us, the listeners, came along with us on that journey through podcast episodes and really appreciate how you showed commitment to all the needs that people had throughout 25.
3:42
SPEAKER_02: So the year interview will be great.
3:44
SPEAKER_03: And and maintaining that voice of clean and clear by 2040.
3:48
SPEAKER_03: We're still pushing forward to that goal no matter what.
3:51
SPEAKER_02: Love it.
3:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
3:52
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
3:52
SPEAKER_03: And we also have our full partners meeting.
3:54
SPEAKER_02: Full partners meeting, April 14th.
3:57
SPEAKER_02: We're going to do breakfast together.
3:59
SPEAKER_02: That'll be available starting at 7:30 in the morning.
4:02
SPEAKER_02: We'll do our working agenda from 8 to 10 a.m.
4:05
SPEAKER_02: And we'll all be together at St.
4:07
SPEAKER_02: Joseph's University, which happens to be in the Stau for Run catchment, which is one of the stream delisting catchments.
4:13
SPEAKER_02: So we'll get to spend some time hearing from those experts too.
4:16
SPEAKER_03: Hey, and speaking of hearing from experts.
4:20
SPEAKER_02: You're loving this.
4:23
SPEAKER_03: We have a couple of folks on the show today that are representing what used to be called Future Farmers of America is now just FFA.
4:32
SPEAKER_02: And that has become a theme for today's episode.
4:34
SPEAKER_03: Yes, it's certainly.
4:35
SPEAKER_02: Because I'm not allowed to buzz him on that.
4:39
SPEAKER_03: There are, yeah, there are a lot of things that are that occur in the conversation.
4:44
SPEAKER_03: And I thought about buzzing them, but they really are kind of what those things are called.
4:50
SPEAKER_03: But our guests are Brandon Bixler.
4:53
SPEAKER_03: He is the agricultural and environmental studies teacher and staff advisor at McCaskey High School for their chapter of FFA.
5:03
SPEAKER_03: And probably the most impressive teenager that I have come across in a very, very long time.
5:11
SPEAKER_03: Valerie Gray is the chapter president of FFA and many other things.
5:18
SPEAKER_03: And I think she has a huge future.
5:24
SPEAKER_03: So let's start off with an icebreaker.
5:25
SPEAKER_03: So your icebreaker question is when is the first time you remember feeling proud of yourself?
5:32
SPEAKER_01: It's a good question.
5:33
SPEAKER_01: I can start.
5:34
SPEAKER_01: And then Valerie's said to hear your answer too.
5:37
SPEAKER_01: I think one of the first times, it's hard to pick just like one specific time, but when I was younger, I want to say probably like second or third grade, I wrote my first ever like storybook.
5:46
SPEAKER_01: So that was my first adventure into being an author, I suppose, about like wild animals in a forest.
5:52
SPEAKER_01: And I just remember that, you know, wrote this story and like outlined all the characters and all this stuff.
5:56
SPEAKER_01: And my like my parents and my grandparents like printed it out, helped me print it out, and we put it in like these little plastic like sheet coverings, and then it sat on the bookshelf in my grandparents' cabin.
6:06
SPEAKER_01: And I just I think about that because I'm like, man, that was one of the first times I felt like I did something and I made it, but also how much it meant that people sort of came alongside and like also made me think it was really cool.
6:16
SPEAKER_01: Right.
6:16
SPEAKER_01: And so just to to point also the influence of a lot of people who gave me reasons to feel proud and encouraged me and how important that was.
6:22
SPEAKER_01: But that's like one of the earliest memories of a time where I'm like, oh, I did something and this was cool.
6:26
SPEAKER_03: And the fact that you did that breakdown is like that's way above that age level.
6:31
SPEAKER_03: So that's really about.
6:32
SPEAKER_01: I've still grown a little bit since second or third grade.
6:34
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if I would have told you all that at the time.
6:36
SPEAKER_02: But you still remember the detail and the feeling.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
6:39
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
6:39
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
6:40
SPEAKER_03: That's great.
6:41
SPEAKER_03: Eller, how about you?
6:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
6:42
SPEAKER_00: The one time I felt like truly proud of myself is when I was I'm talking to my peers and they they gave me they showed me some respect.
6:51
SPEAKER_00: Through my whole life, I every time I talked to somebody, nobody really showed me that type of respect, especially my peers.
6:57
SPEAKER_00: So just getting in a leadership position and somebody taking me seriously and kids coming to me and feeling like they could talk and just have that one-on-one conversation.
7:07
SPEAKER_00: It made me feel proud of myself of how much I've grown and how much I'm inter like how well I'm interacting with others.
7:13
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, that's one time.
7:15
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:16
SPEAKER_04: That's fantastic.
7:17
SPEAKER_04: That's amazing.
7:18
SPEAKER_02: What a yeah, what a wonderful feeling.
7:20
SPEAKER_02: You should be proud of that, both of you.
7:22
SPEAKER_02: Congratulations.
7:24
SPEAKER_03: So along that same line, then what is an early memory you have in your life that actually tied you to conservation?
7:32
SPEAKER_00: So I'll start off.
7:33
SPEAKER_00: One thing that I'm sure it all comes naturally to us, but we all want to save money.
7:38
SPEAKER_00: So kind of just saving resources, like let's say a Ziploc bag or just groceries bags you get from the store, and just using all that type of stuff and saving that those resources and reusing them and saving that money.
7:50
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure we all can relate to that and goes back to like early stages of like life.
7:54
SPEAKER_00: Like your mom says she doesn't want to spend too much money.
7:57
SPEAKER_00: So now all of a sudden you're washing Ziploc bags and you're just reusing stuff.
8:02
SPEAKER_00: And then I still think in understanding conservation, I'm still in the early stages of really truly knowing what it is.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: So some things I've noticed in my understanding is in my class with Mr.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: Bixer, when I do an internal assessment, when I was doing mine, I was testing water quality and Lancaster PA and just showing how different streams and different ways of conservation have impacted our quality of water in Lancaster.
8:29
SPEAKER_00: Um just tying all that together and fully understanding I'm still in the early stages of understanding what conservation is.
8:37
SPEAKER_00: So just different things like that that I learned in school definitely, definitely helps.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:41
SPEAKER_02: And you're totally right.
8:42
SPEAKER_02: Tying it back to economics and saving resources, saving money, saving time, it's all part of the system approach.
8:50
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
8:50
SPEAKER_02: How about you, Mr.
8:51
SPEAKER_02: Vixler?
8:52
SPEAKER_01: I would say my earliest memories are sort of the initial inspiration why I was interested in conservation or the outdoors.
9:01
SPEAKER_01: My dad is, was and still is a big hunter and outdoorsman himself.
9:05
SPEAKER_01: And so that was really one of my earliest influences of looking forward to hunting one day, you know, when I turn 12 and just being outside and and really seeing and and believing.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: It's a big part of what I what sort of shapes my view of things now of how critical it is that those of us who use and are involved with our natural resources, whether that's hunting, fishing, or just sort of, you know, enjoying hikes and natural spaces, how important it is that all of us who do those things are active in conservation efforts.
9:31
SPEAKER_01: So that was sort of the initial focus, but I also have to give a shout out.
9:34
SPEAKER_01: There's so just so many people who've touched my journey.
9:36
SPEAKER_01: But one I really want to acknowledge, Sally Gregory, who's the education director for the Lancaster County Conservation District.
9:43
SPEAKER_01: I vividly remember her coming to my elementary school classes and presenting about conservation topics.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: So it wouldn't be right for me to not give her that shout out because I remember that to this day, and there's been a lot of other teachers and experiences that have helped to shape that since that time.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: But that one from early on, I loved those days.
9:59
SPEAKER_01: Those are like the memories that stick with me from those early years in school.
10:02
SPEAKER_01: And so I just saw her coming in here, walking on the way up the steps to record this.
10:06
SPEAKER_01: So, like, how fun is that?
10:07
SPEAKER_01: It's just been really full circle moment for me.
10:09
SPEAKER_01: So thanks, Sally, for all that you did to help inspire that all those years ago.
10:14
SPEAKER_02: So great.
10:15
SPEAKER_03: And we talk and we talk about that you know, this season is all about education.
10:18
SPEAKER_03: That's that's a really great prime example right there.
10:21
SPEAKER_03: 100%.
10:22
SPEAKER_03: And you just never know who you're gonna affect.
10:23
SPEAKER_03: That's great.
10:24
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
10:24
SPEAKER_02: So many touch points across Lancaster.
10:26
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
10:27
SPEAKER_02: So those are some of your early memories.
10:28
SPEAKER_02: I'm curious, did you have something specific that you wanted to be when you grew up?
10:33
SPEAKER_02: Like was it conservation related?
10:35
SPEAKER_02: Was it like you mentioned hunting and fishing?
10:37
SPEAKER_01: If you talked to me through elementary school all the way up, really until the end of my freshman year of high school, I would have told you I wanted to be a wildlife biologist.
10:44
SPEAKER_01: Um worked for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
10:47
SPEAKER_01: That was sort of what I was set out to do and was really excited to do that.
10:50
SPEAKER_01: And I still think that would be an incredible job.
10:52
SPEAKER_01: But I have a pretty cool job now too.
10:54
SPEAKER_01: But um up until freshman year, that's what I would have told you.
10:57
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
10:58
SPEAKER_00: That's fantastic.
10:59
SPEAKER_00: How about you, Allie?
11:00
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to be something, somebody that helped people like mentally.
11:03
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to be a psychiatrist.
11:04
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to be that since I was like eight.
11:07
SPEAKER_00: It was like a dream of mine.
11:08
SPEAKER_00: But I grew towards like politics and stuff and just the environment focus.
11:12
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
11:13
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
11:14
SPEAKER_00: Still learning, still deciding.
11:16
SPEAKER_02: Still developing, yeah.
11:17
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
11:17
SPEAKER_02: I think all of us are on some level.
11:19
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
11:21
SPEAKER_03: One of the things that brought you here is your association with FFA.
11:25
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
11:25
SPEAKER_03: You are the advisor of of the FFA chapter.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: You got it.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: If we're talking in technical terms, if for anybody listening that knows school-based ag education, you'll appreciate this, I suppose.
11:36
SPEAKER_01: But yeah, we often talk about being an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor.
11:40
SPEAKER_01: So you advise the FFA piece and then teach the agricultural and environmental science content.
11:45
SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell And does every school have an ag science class?
11:49
SPEAKER_01: Every school that has an FFA chapter would have an agricultural science class.
11:53
SPEAKER_01: In order to be an FFA member, you need to be enrolled in some form of study of agricultural education at your school.
12:00
SPEAKER_02: Got it.
12:00
SPEAKER_02: Got it.
12:01
SPEAKER_02: What was that process like for McCaskey?
12:03
SPEAKER_02: Because this is all pretty new, right?
12:05
SPEAKER_02: Like we'll get into some timeline pieces here, but tell us some of that journey for you.
12:10
SPEAKER_01: Well, FFA is student-led.
12:12
SPEAKER_01: So Valerie, I would love if you could just share a little bit.
12:14
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna lead us here.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: If you can just talk a little bit about what was the process like from the student perspective, and then we can get into the details more, but I'd love to hear from you what what was this like?
12:23
SPEAKER_01: Start from the beginning of our of our journey where we're at now.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: So at our school McCaskey, we have a club fair.
12:30
SPEAKER_00: So basically we showcase all the clubs and agriculture club.
12:33
SPEAKER_00: There was nobody there, but I saw a bird that was like a turkey, like it was stuffed.
12:38
SPEAKER_00: And I saw Agriculture Club.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, this sounds like something that I'd be interested in.
12:44
SPEAKER_00: So it started off like that regular club meetings.
12:46
SPEAKER_00: I did not know about FFA.
12:48
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure nobody in the room knew about FFA but Mr.
12:50
SPEAKER_00: Bixler.
12:51
SPEAKER_00: And then near the end of the year, school year, he started talking about FFA and we would soon be in FFA chapter.
12:57
SPEAKER_03: How long ago was that?
12:58
SPEAKER_00: This was 2024.
13:00
SPEAKER_00: This is my 11th grade year.
13:02
SPEAKER_00: This was like a year ago, a year and a half, maybe.
13:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: So not too long ago.
13:06
SPEAKER_00: And that's when it took off.
13:07
SPEAKER_00: We went to get our official charter at Penn State.
13:11
SPEAKER_00: And then we just kept on growing from there.
13:13
SPEAKER_00: And now we're here.
13:15
SPEAKER_02: And here is a full FFA chapter within McCassie High School.
13:19
SPEAKER_02: And how many members?
13:20
SPEAKER_01: Enrolled in our classes.
13:21
SPEAKER_01: We have about 50 students taking agricultural instruction.
13:24
SPEAKER_01: So 50 official members, but many more than that who join us for after-school events, which are open to the whole student population.
13:31
SPEAKER_01: And so we would have over a hundred people who've done some sort of FFA something this year, which is a little bit.
13:36
SPEAKER_01: That's so cool.
13:37
SPEAKER_01: That's great.
13:38
SPEAKER_02: My gosh, what a like trajectory of where you started.
13:42
SPEAKER_02: Facts too.
13:44
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
13:44
SPEAKER_02: We talk about momentum in Lancaster County.
13:46
SPEAKER_02: This is the prime example.
13:48
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
13:49
SPEAKER_02: And Mr.
13:49
SPEAKER_02: Bixler, so you had that table and you have a history with FFA.
13:55
SPEAKER_02: Maybe maybe back us up a little bit in the journey then.
13:57
SPEAKER_01: Sure.
13:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
13:59
SPEAKER_01: So I was fortunate to go through a high school that had an FFA chapter.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: And I didn't grow up on a farm.
14:05
SPEAKER_01: I make that note because while I'm not a McCaskey alum, um, what I can relate to in a s in a small way for many of my students is that I didn't grow up on a in a farm and I didn't come from a background in production agriculture.
14:17
SPEAKER_01: Less and less of us do today.
14:18
SPEAKER_01: You know, if you look at statistics, it's roughly less than 2% of us across the United States actually grow up or work on a farm.
14:25
SPEAKER_01: And so that's just sort of opening perspective that even in our rural areas where we think of agricultural production happening, the reality is less and less of us are actively involved on a farm, a smaller percentage of us than almost ever throughout the course of human history.
14:37
SPEAKER_01: That's just sort of where we sit today.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: All that to say, because I came through the FFA background and I'm an alum of Garden Spot High School and had an incredible experience in the Grassland FFA chapter there, and give a lot of credit to all the people who were a part of my journey there.
14:51
SPEAKER_01: Because I knew the impact of that, that really inspired me that, you know what, I want to go, and if I can play even a small part in helping to bring this and make this opportunity accessible to more students, like then that's what I want to do.
15:02
SPEAKER_01: And so that sort of led me to McCaskey.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: We have a really robust career in technical education department with lots of other programs for things like cosmetology and health careers and building trades, accounting, and you know, I could go on and on.
15:14
SPEAKER_01: But I there's really an opportunity here to add in an agricultural and environmental science program that is new and innovative, right?
15:20
SPEAKER_01: And we seek to be.
15:20
SPEAKER_01: A lot of people don't often think of School District of Lancaster, McCaskey High School in an urban setting being home to a an agricultural and environmental science program.
15:28
SPEAKER_01: But I think we can build a program that thrives and does just has a lot of potential for impact, and perhaps most importantly, connect students to really in-demand and fulfilling careers.
15:36
SPEAKER_01: And that's sort of what we're all about.
15:38
SPEAKER_01: So Valerie did a great job of highlighting the journey.
15:40
SPEAKER_01: It's funny to think back to that table that because there were no student FFA members, um, you know, it was just me.
15:46
SPEAKER_01: And then part of the time I had to go teach class, you know, I couldn't be in there the whole day.
15:49
SPEAKER_01: So I'm really grateful to that mounted pheasant bird that was on the table because that it's what drew Valerie in.
15:56
SPEAKER_01: So never never underestimate the power of the little things, I guess, because who would have thought?
16:00
SPEAKER_02: I'm curious how so you you gave a great description of the journey of FFA within McCaskey High School and the school district of Lancaster.
16:09
SPEAKER_02: Can you tell us how it fits in with the context of Lancaster County?
16:11
SPEAKER_02: Like you mentioned you're you have experience in gardens, but what's the FFA landscape like across Lancaster?
16:17
SPEAKER_02: And then kind of how you have fit into that in this first year, because I'm sure there were some bumps along the road, but I'm curious about that as a network.
16:25
SPEAKER_01: Within Lancaster County, and there are 12 FFA chapters.
16:28
SPEAKER_01: So we make number 12, we're the newest one in the county, which is super exciting across both largely public schools, but also like, for example, Lancaster Mennonite High School has an FFA chapter.
16:38
SPEAKER_01: So private schools as well.
16:39
SPEAKER_01: So not quite every school in our county has one.
16:41
SPEAKER_01: One day I'd love to see that and be able to say that no matter where you are in Lancaster County, you can be a part of an FFA chapter.
16:46
SPEAKER_01: But majority of the schools in our county do have programs.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: And so again, any student who is enrolled in agricultural education courses is able to be an FFA member and has FFA membership.
16:57
SPEAKER_01: And FFA really just is an opportunity to connect students and develop their potential for, as we would say in our FFA mission statement, premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.
17:06
SPEAKER_01: So sort of looking holistically at how do we take what we learn in the classroom and apply it and develop as leaders so that we're prepared for success regardless of where we go.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: And so, Valerie, maybe I'll let you share a little bit of okay, how do we fit into that picture?
17:19
SPEAKER_01: Like what are some of the things that we've been doing over the course of the last year and a half as we've gotten started, activities we engage in on campus.
17:25
SPEAKER_01: We've I we've done a lot, so you don't have to like say everything, but I think it's helpful to hear from the student perspective what does that actually look like in the day-to-day?
17:33
SPEAKER_00: At least in environmental systems and societies in that specific class, we take on very complex ideas pertaining to the environment and obviously people.
17:43
SPEAKER_00: So I believe we touched on ecology, we touched on how much our carbon footprint actually impacts the environment, just different things like that, how policies actually affect different ecosystems.
17:56
SPEAKER_00: And I could go on for a very long time.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: Um but just things like that, and then we moved to our club environment, and it's very different.
18:05
SPEAKER_00: It's more hands-on, just so people could get an experience on what FFA and agriculture have to offer them.
18:12
SPEAKER_00: So I'm pretty sure I mentioned this, but we dissected owl pellets, we visited this community store is Blessings of Hope.
18:21
SPEAKER_00: So we uh went there and we figured out how they give back to their community.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: So local things like that, and then going obviously to Penn State to the convention, and then this week we're going to the ACES conference.
18:33
SPEAKER_00: We're doing a lot, I would definitely say that's just the tip of the iceberg, but there's a lot more to offer.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: I think to the bigger picture, right, because a question a lot of people have is like, okay, so what does FFA look like in an urban setting?
18:46
SPEAKER_01: Because it's it is different, right?
18:47
SPEAKER_01: Traditionally, FFA would have been in rural schools where we're surrounded by a lot of farms, and we're certainly surrounded by those farms.
18:53
SPEAKER_01: But I acknowledge within the school district of Lancaster, right, there's not really farmland in in a traditional way we think about it.
18:58
SPEAKER_01: Lancaster's not a huge city, but it is a city of 60,000 people, right?
19:02
SPEAKER_01: And it's probably it's not an environment that people often think of as, you know, having agricultural education.
19:08
SPEAKER_01: One of the fun things we get to do, it takes some work, but is getting out this message of like, why would someone want to take an agricultural or environmental science course, even if they're not planning on becoming a farmer?
19:17
SPEAKER_01: And helping to communicate this message of there are so many careers and opportunities connected with agricultural and environmental science that are not just limited to farming.
19:26
SPEAKER_01: We believe farming is important.
19:27
SPEAKER_01: It's the basis it provides for uh the food needs of people all around the world.
19:31
SPEAKER_01: We need farmers.
19:32
SPEAKER_01: And there's a lot of careers in farming, but also in all of the different things that surround that to support our food systems.
19:38
SPEAKER_01: And I think, like you heard Valerie talk about blessings of hope, right?
19:41
SPEAKER_01: We get to be involved in really meaningful opportunities like that across the spectrum of different things we touch on in agricultural and environmental science.
19:47
SPEAKER_01: And so we get to have a lot of fun with those things.
19:49
SPEAKER_01: And I would argue FFA fits in quite well in in any type of school system as long as we're making it relevant to where we're at.
19:56
SPEAKER_02: So true.
19:57
SPEAKER_02: Oh man.
19:58
SPEAKER_03: Now, Valerie, you're relatively new to Lancaster.
20:01
SPEAKER_03: How do you describe local agriculture to your family and friends that aren't from here?
20:07
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: There's a way I do it.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: Usually my my family visits and they're very interested and also confused about how many cornfields there are here.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: And also people that are in buggies and ride with horses.
20:21
SPEAKER_00: It's very different.
20:22
SPEAKER_00: When I explain it to my friends back in Florida, I s I simply say, just look up Amish people and you'll know where I am.
20:33
SPEAKER_00: And that's all they have to do, and they understand where I am.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: It's very different, I would say, especially from Florida, because I came from obviously South Florida beaches.
20:42
SPEAKER_00: The air tasted like salt water, and I'm in Lancaster, PA, and it doesn't smell too nice sometimes, especially when you go a little further out.
20:52
SPEAKER_00: But I I do enjoy my time here.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
20:55
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that totally makes sense.
20:58
SPEAKER_02: And I feel like we need to make this next jump because we're not a farming podcast.
21:04
SPEAKER_02: We're a clean water podcast.
21:06
SPEAKER_02: So help us make some connections here.
21:09
SPEAKER_02: Why does this matter to clean water?
21:11
SPEAKER_02: The work that you're doing, the leadership that you have, the leaders you have become in this.
21:17
SPEAKER_02: Tell us how that connects back to clean water.
21:20
SPEAKER_01: Something I believe really deeply is that in the long run, what is good for agriculture is also good for the environment, and then vice versa.
21:28
SPEAKER_01: And I think, man, sometimes that that can feel hard to see, or there's people who maybe don't believe that.
21:33
SPEAKER_01: But I really do believe that like when we think about how we do agriculture well, we want to make sure that we're doing it in a way that protects our environmental resources and stewards them well because over time, if we degrade them, if we don't take care of the natural resources that we have, that's ultimately going to limit our ability to engage in agricultural production moving forward.
21:50
SPEAKER_01: And so I get really excited thinking about the ways that our agricultural and environmental science program, my hope is that when students leave the program, they are agricultural.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: Agriculturalists and environmentalists all at once, right?
22:02
SPEAKER_01: Like the not looking at the two as separate, but looking at them as very much so connected, that inseparable, I guess would be a way to put it.
22:09
SPEAKER_01: That's my hope that when our students leave McCaskey, and if they finish their time in our program, that they view the two together, they they have this belief.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: And they also have the skill set to carry out agricultural production and environmental stewardship that works hand in hand, clean water being a huge part of that, especially given where we're at.
22:23
SPEAKER_01: You know, we take a look at the Conestoga River that runs right along the bottom of the city, feeding into the Susquehanna, feeding into the Chesapeake Bay, eventually feeding into the Atlantic Ocean.
22:31
SPEAKER_01: And like, man, what we do here in Lancaster, it does matter.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: Um what we do anywhere matters.
22:36
SPEAKER_01: But just being able to see those connections, particularly as it pertains to water, is just super, super important for what we do.
22:42
SPEAKER_02: Oh, I love that.
22:43
SPEAKER_02: It's so true.
22:43
SPEAKER_02: Because we use this collaborative approach.
22:46
SPEAKER_02: And so all of those points, all of those topics, sectors, you're right, they totally intersect and connect.
22:52
SPEAKER_02: So thank you.
22:53
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for that description.
22:55
SPEAKER_02: And Valerie, you've done some specific clean water work and research.
22:58
SPEAKER_02: Can you give us a little bit of of your story?
23:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: So when I was doing my internal assessment in my environmental systems and societies class, I did my project on comparing two streams.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: One would be suburban and one would be urban.
23:14
SPEAKER_00: So it would be near Longs Park and the other near an urbanized area.
23:19
SPEAKER_00: I wanted to compare those two streams to see what impacts our water more.
23:24
SPEAKER_00: Would it be urbanization, all that runoff going into the stream, or would it be just the suburban areas and that type of runoff going into the streams?
23:33
SPEAKER_00: One thing that I wanted to focus on in that project is how much we as a community can impact our water.
23:41
SPEAKER_00: And just looking at when I was doing my research project, also the history of Lancaster County's water was not great.
23:52
SPEAKER_00: And for my research, and when I did when I did all these tests with dissolved oxygen, pH, and the macroinvertebrate species, it's not the best still.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: Knowing and that I did this project and knowing this type of stuff definitely can lead to a way of solving that issue in Lancaster County in the local area.
24:13
SPEAKER_03: ICE.
24:14
SPEAKER_00: Such a hopeful perspective.
24:19
SPEAKER_03: And we've talked about that.
24:20
SPEAKER_03: It's a large part of what we're doing here.
24:22
SPEAKER_03: And and I personally, you know, trying to get that message out there and and communicate to our partner organizations as they communicate with the public.
24:31
SPEAKER_03: And I'm excited to hear that you're a communicator as well.
24:35
SPEAKER_03: You're the editor-in-chief of Cassie's Literary Magazine.
24:38
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
24:38
SPEAKER_03: How does that help you in achieving your FFA goals?
24:42
SPEAKER_00: Well, just that leadership position and leading, guiding people through the program definitely helps tie in because I'm, as me being president of our FFA chapter, those leadership skills kind of guiding into the FFA program.
24:56
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's almost like a test run.
24:58
SPEAKER_00: I was in the literary magazine, I think a little, a little longer, like a year longer than I was in FFA.
25:04
SPEAKER_00: So just me having that knowledge on knowing how to guide people, knowing how to lead them into the path that they want, and then bringing that back to FFA, it definitely holds benefits.
25:15
SPEAKER_00: And it's growing our program and just understanding that my leadership position is not as impactful as the community that it brings.
25:23
SPEAKER_00: Definitely in FFA, we have such a large community, just in McCaskey, definitely holds a lot more power than what I do as editor-in-chief and president of a wow.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
25:36
SPEAKER_02: Man.
25:36
SPEAKER_01: We need more leaders like that.
25:37
SPEAKER_01: Seriously.
25:38
SPEAKER_01: I'll tell you what.
25:40
SPEAKER_02: Impressive in many, many ways.
25:43
SPEAKER_03: So farmers and ag leaders aren't always seen as environmentalists or conservation-minded.
25:49
SPEAKER_03: Obviously, we beg to differ.
25:50
SPEAKER_03: We we talk to a lot of farmers who look at the conservation side of things.
25:56
SPEAKER_03: How have you experienced conversations about stewardship around conservation?
26:02
SPEAKER_01: I'll approach this from a lens specifically, I guess, related to education and sort of like working with youth, right, and youth voices around conservation, because I really do think that that is so, so important.
26:12
SPEAKER_01: And if we're going to implement models that are sustainable, right, for the way that we do things, the way that we operate in agriculture or elsewhere as well, but it's going to have to include young people because very quickly-I mean, time goes quickly, and very quickly those young people are going to become people, right?
26:28
SPEAKER_01: The professionals, the people working in the industry and engaging in these practices.
26:31
SPEAKER_01: And so I think we just have such a it's so critical that we are working with you know high school age students.
26:37
SPEAKER_01: I know that's my specific population, but helping build skills, helping them think critically about these topics because they're complex.
26:43
SPEAKER_01: Balor's a student in the IB, which is International Baccalaureate Environmental Systems and Societies course, as she's mentioned.
26:49
SPEAKER_01: And in there, like it just feels like every day we're engaging in really exciting things, but at the same time, it can be a little bit exhausting because it's never simple, right?
26:56
SPEAKER_01: It's like there's always multiple perspectives to consider all of these things.
26:59
SPEAKER_01: And it's just can be a little bit draining.
27:01
SPEAKER_01: And that's just sort of, I guess, that speaks to the bigger picture of life.
27:04
SPEAKER_01: Because there's no one easy fix.
27:06
SPEAKER_01: One model that I think is helpful when I think about conservation is okay, if we're gonna do this sustainably, and that's that's a word we hear a lot, but it can be really hard to define.
27:14
SPEAKER_01: Um, it's gotta be, yes, environmentally sustainable, but also economically sustainable and then socially sustainable as well.
27:21
SPEAKER_01: We sort of look at those three parts, meaning like, yes, we need to care for our environment.
27:25
SPEAKER_01: We know that's important.
27:26
SPEAKER_01: But I also need to make sure I'm doing this in a way that allows people to make a livelihood and doesn't take away that ability, or like we're just gonna have to be real about the the money side of things, the financial aspects of things.
27:35
SPEAKER_01: And then also socially, right?
27:37
SPEAKER_01: Is it respecting people and allowing them to sort of live their life and not not putting anybody at a disadvantage?
27:43
SPEAKER_01: And are we are we also bringing everybody into the conversation or are there people who are left out?
27:47
SPEAKER_01: That's sort of where my mind goes at first when I think about that.
27:49
SPEAKER_01: And I get long-winded because it's just hard and it's complex and you could talk forever and still not feel like you got it.
27:54
SPEAKER_01: But I guess that's just the way it is with a lot of these complex topics.
27:57
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
27:58
SPEAKER_02: Valerie, have you had conversations with peers or other students about how kind of conservation and ag meet?
28:05
SPEAKER_00: Not me personally.
28:06
SPEAKER_00: With my peers, it's a little less formal conversations, but we definitely obviously have it in the classroom a lot, especially with the course that Ms.
28:16
SPEAKER_00: Bixer mentioned, environmental systems and societies.
28:19
SPEAKER_00: We have that conversation almost every day, how conservation ties into our life and how we could use those practices.
28:24
SPEAKER_00: And like Ms.
28:25
SPEAKER_00: Bixer said, all those three aspects of the economic, socially, all that.
28:30
SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm more having those conversations in the classroom, which is every day, more than less with my peers, I think.
28:37
SPEAKER_02: Philosophy conversations on the side aren't kind of a normal routine.
28:43
SPEAKER_03: Do you have any partners that you work with on a regular basis you want to give a shout out to?
28:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, tons of them.
28:48
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
28:49
SPEAKER_01: This work would not be possible without so many people.
28:51
SPEAKER_01: Valerie, uh, do you want to highlight a few of the examples of people and organizations we've been fortunate to partner with?
28:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:57
SPEAKER_00: So we worked with the Lancaster County Bay Street Garden.
29:01
SPEAKER_00: It's just a garden locally in Lancaster in the middle of the city.
29:04
SPEAKER_00: And students went there, we volunteered, and they basically give away free uh vegetables, fruits, just vegetation that people could use, especially in this economy where people can't even afford groceries.
29:16
SPEAKER_00: That is very important and important for their message and their impact that they're making.
29:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
29:22
SPEAKER_00: And then also one, two, three classroom.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: We worked with them.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: That was more of at our school.
29:28
SPEAKER_00: We planted trees and we did it in memorance of one of our staff members, one of our teachers, brother Albright.
29:36
SPEAKER_00: He passed away at these past two years, I believe.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: And planting these trees was in remembrance of him and his legacy that he left behind and just the impact he had on these kids.
29:45
SPEAKER_00: Is that Let's Go One, Two, Three?
29:47
SPEAKER_00: Let's go one, two, three, yeah.
29:48
SPEAKER_01: It's all the same.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: If I could add a few more, I mean, I could I could go on and on about all of the partners that we have, but just to shout out a few of them.
29:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
29:57
SPEAKER_01: Oh my goodness.
29:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
29:58
SPEAKER_01: As we've said, this work is just so collaborative.
30:00
SPEAKER_01: So National Environmental Education Foundation has been a huge support to us and their programs that help to support education like this around the country.
30:08
SPEAKER_01: But getting to be a part of a STEM project with them has been an incredible opportunity for us.
30:13
SPEAKER_01: Some local partners like the Edible Classroom, who does so much with our elementary schools, and now we have a chance to partner from sort of the high school student side of things.
30:21
SPEAKER_01: Again, let's go one, two, three, and the Lancaster Rec, who operates the Bay Street Garden that you heard Valerie talk about, Lancaster Farmland Trust, the conservation district here for Lancaster County, regional, all of those people doing incredible work locally who have just shared rich insights with our students and opportunities.
30:38
SPEAKER_01: And then also Thaddeus Stevens, right in our backyard, getting to be neighbors.
30:41
SPEAKER_01: Man, that's an awesome gift for us and just so much potential there.
30:45
SPEAKER_01: And they believe in our students and the potential that we have here in our new program.
30:48
SPEAKER_01: Lancaster County Agriculture Council, which really just brings together agricultural partners across the county, and they've been so supportive.
30:55
SPEAKER_01: And then also, like looking ahead, we're really excited for collaborations to continue.
30:58
SPEAKER_01: And the High Foundation is doing some really exciting work on the Sunnyside Peninsula in the city with an environmental center there, community farm project with Lancaster Farmland Trust.
31:07
SPEAKER_01: My goodness, we have lots to look forward to too.
31:09
SPEAKER_01: No shortage of things to keep us busy, but that's that's the way we like it.
31:12
SPEAKER_01: So we're excited to keep exploring ways to keep on keeping on.
31:16
SPEAKER_02: That's amazing.
31:17
SPEAKER_01: That is.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
31:50
SPEAKER_00: One thing at our school we have pick your path.
31:53
SPEAKER_00: Kids like ninth graders, tenth graders, they can explore different paths that they could take in their sophomore and freshman year.
32:00
SPEAKER_00: And we're one of the stops for FFA agriculture.
32:04
SPEAKER_00: And we showcase different types of agricultural related classes.
32:08
SPEAKER_00: So one of my classes, environmental systems and societies, and then the introduction to agriculture, different classes like that, and that just being advertised to the kids and just to my peers.
32:19
SPEAKER_00: It's it shows that there is an outlet if you want to get into agriculture and we show the importance of it.
32:25
SPEAKER_00: Um we have our hydroponic systems, and when we did pick your path, we had an incubator.
32:30
SPEAKER_00: We show that there is a lot to do in this field.
32:34
SPEAKER_00: That's one way that we showcase it.
32:36
SPEAKER_00: And also in the morning announcements, just a regular announcement that, hey, we have club today.
32:41
SPEAKER_00: New kids do show up almost like every week, which is very fascinating.
32:45
SPEAKER_00: Either they could be the friends of somebody, but they do show up and they learn about agriculture.
32:50
SPEAKER_00: So those just little messages inside our school of just, hey, we have club today.
32:55
SPEAKER_00: There's crazy good power in that blue jacket.
32:58
SPEAKER_02: So is that do you feel that shift within the school?
33:02
SPEAKER_02: Is that part of why more people show up?
33:04
SPEAKER_02: Do you think?
33:05
SPEAKER_02: Does the FFA bring something with it that's unique like that?
33:09
SPEAKER_00: Yes, absolutely.
33:10
SPEAKER_00: Um I'm gonna give a shout out to my one of my one of the officers in our FFA chapter, CJ.
33:16
SPEAKER_00: Every time I talk to him, ever since he got the blue jacket, he's just so ecstatic about like life and always going to club.
33:24
SPEAKER_00: And so all his other friends, like he brings friends along and they're like, that's such a cool jacket.
33:28
SPEAKER_00: And she just like, I know, and he just wears it with pride.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: So good.
33:32
SPEAKER_00: It just brings pride and they're excited to wear the jacket.
33:35
SPEAKER_00: They're excited to learn more about agriculture and what it has to offer.
33:38
SPEAKER_00: They're excited to go to club, they're excited to go to all these events.
33:40
SPEAKER_00: They want to represent McCaskey, they want to represent FFA.
33:43
SPEAKER_00: And so back to your question, the jacket holds a lot, especially for my peers.
33:48
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
33:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
33:49
SPEAKER_01: We had, I would never forget, you know, for for those of us who've been around FFA for a long time, you know, you know, you got your blue jacket, and that's how you roll, and everybody loves the blue jacket.
33:59
SPEAKER_01: We had some fun conversations at first about like, so wait, they they don't make it in black and red because those would be our school colors.
34:06
SPEAKER_01: It's like, no, I'm sorry, it doesn't come in black and red.
34:09
SPEAKER_01: I will never forget that.
34:10
SPEAKER_01: But how fun.
34:11
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
34:12
SPEAKER_01: And all Valerie did a remarkable job talking about like the internal, right?
34:15
SPEAKER_01: How we communicate with the students and how we've how we continue to work to build a culture and communicate our message of what is FFA and why we want you to belong here.
34:23
SPEAKER_01: There's a place for you here and all the opportunities that there are.
34:26
SPEAKER_01: One of my favorite parts, I you know, I spend a good bit of time communicating with the students, but man, the the students who are in in our organization do a remarkable job of of helping that come along naturally.
34:36
SPEAKER_01: Um another one of my favorite parts of my job is when I get to to share it with the community and you know, people who are external to to McCaskey or the School District of Lancaster.
34:45
SPEAKER_01: And I'm always proud to wear my McCaskey stuff my McCaskey gear out and about and to tell people that I work there.
34:51
SPEAKER_01: And um, it's a wonderful place to work, and I get to work with wonderful students and to get to s to communicate that to people and also to proudly tell them, and now we're doing the FFA thing too.
35:00
SPEAKER_01: And I think it's been, you know, this is my second year there, and just it's been a lot of fun over the last two years to get to spread that message and to just yeah, share that with people.
35:08
SPEAKER_01: And it's really cool.
35:09
SPEAKER_01: And I think, man, communicating the message that like a lot of times the first follow-up question I get are like, so are people interested in in this?
35:16
SPEAKER_01: Like, do you have people who want to take this?
35:18
SPEAKER_01: Or I don't know if people think I'm just there, like just talking to the wall or what.
35:22
SPEAKER_01: But um, no, it's it's good to be like, no, there are genuinely, right?
35:26
SPEAKER_01: To be able to say that, you know, we've had a hundred students engage in this in some way.
35:31
SPEAKER_01: And just one last comment here would be that one of my favorite parts of my job is getting to also really put to use the really rich experiences that people have had related to agriculture and the environment from, I mean, you heard Valerie's story, right?
35:44
SPEAKER_01: From across the country, but also around the world.
35:47
SPEAKER_01: That's just a really special part of who we are as a school.
35:50
SPEAKER_01: We would have over like 35 native languages spoken and over 60 different nationalities represented.
35:56
SPEAKER_01: It's a remarkable place to be and to spend your time.
35:58
SPEAKER_01: And I think, man, when I get to draw upon and learn from the experiences of those who've lived and have really rich agricultural experiences beyond what I've ever had from around the world, right?
36:08
SPEAKER_01: Maybe that's, you know, a farm in Cuba where people are bringing those experiences from, or from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, like fascinating experiences that my students bring and that walk through my classroom door every day.
36:19
SPEAKER_01: Um I don't think that's not something I expected when I took this job, but I'm very fortunate to work in a place where I get to learn from that.
36:25
SPEAKER_01: And also then for students who maybe have grown up in Lancaster City their whole life, um, that they are interested and that they want to learn more about this and engage and just bringing those two worlds together is remarkable.
36:35
SPEAKER_01: And it's a real gift for me to get to be a teacher in a place where I can learn from that.
36:39
SPEAKER_02: Oh, wow, what a wonderful gift.
36:41
SPEAKER_02: That's an amazing description.
36:43
SPEAKER_03: I'm kind of curious, what would you say has been your biggest win since instituting FFA at Micaski?
36:52
SPEAKER_03: And what has been the biggest challenge?
36:54
SPEAKER_00: We really don't have too many challenges, I would say.
36:57
SPEAKER_00: And we have a lot of people coming through, but I could say one of our biggest wins was definitely the community that we built.
37:03
SPEAKER_00: It's diverse.
37:04
SPEAKER_00: It's it's very nice to see that so many, like Mr.
37:09
SPEAKER_00: Pixler said, so many cultures, so many different backgrounds are interested in agriculture, interested in the environment.
37:16
SPEAKER_00: So when we go to these conventions or we go to these conferences and we bring our group us represent McCaskey with this much diversity, it it brings us pride and it brings us it brings us another win.
37:28
SPEAKER_00: I just feel like emphasizing that we are a school with so much diversity, it's it's beautiful.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: And I I really like to emphasize that, yeah.
37:38
SPEAKER_01: We we've been fortunate to make so much progress.
37:41
SPEAKER_01: And when I pause, which can feel hard to do, but it's so important, you know, to like slow down and just reflect on where we were a year and a half ago, even a year ago.
37:50
SPEAKER_01: You know, like a year ago we didn't have our official FFA charter.
37:52
SPEAKER_01: And now this upcoming weekend we go to the state FFA conference, and you know, we'll have 11 of our student leaders involved in that.
37:59
SPEAKER_01: And like I don't want to miss those things.
38:00
SPEAKER_01: So it can be challenging at times.
38:02
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's a good exercise in patience and in acknowledging that we are new and we get to do the exciting parts of building something from the ground up, and yet that also takes a lot of hard work and and it just takes time, you know.
38:15
SPEAKER_01: That like there's a part of me as the teacher that, for example, Valerie, right, our remarkable student leader.
38:20
SPEAKER_01: We only got two years, you know, and now Valerie's off to she'll soon graduate and go on and doing amazing things.
38:24
SPEAKER_01: And oh man, wouldn't it be awesome if we had more time, right?
38:27
SPEAKER_01: Or if we could build the program and have even more opportunities than what we did.
38:30
SPEAKER_01: And so at times, you know, it's we're we're doing a new thing and we're building, we're doing something that hasn't been done before in our school.
38:37
SPEAKER_01: And so there's so much that's so special about that, and also a lot that just is really hard, you know, trying to do something, build structures, build systems that support these experiences for students.
38:47
SPEAKER_01: And it's not easy, but and it would not be possible.
38:50
SPEAKER_01: It's not easy as it is, but it wouldn't be possible if we didn't have people who believed in us.
38:53
SPEAKER_01: But I mean, as you've already heard, so many people who've come alongside us and supported us and who've believed in us, both me as a teacher, but believed in the students.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: That comes from people inside of the school, outside of the school, and just I'd echo Valerie's comment, the community we've built has made it, makes it possible even on the days when it's when it's hard.
39:10
SPEAKER_02: That's so cool.
39:11
SPEAKER_02: I think it mirrors a lot of what Lancaster as a community has experienced within conservation in the last couple years.
39:18
SPEAKER_02: The big buildup to 2025 was all of these goals for Chesapeake Bay results.
39:23
SPEAKER_02: And okay, 2025, the deadline came.
39:27
SPEAKER_02: In Lancaster, we're looking at a bigger goal of clean and clear by 2040.
39:30
SPEAKER_02: So we're trying to look out ahead.
39:32
SPEAKER_02: So Valerie, I I can't even begin to think where you're gonna be in 2040 because you are already making such an impact.
39:38
SPEAKER_02: But I'm curious what brings you an excitement and eagerness to look beyond 2025 when we talk about Lancaster's clean water goals and the way that environment and conservation and agriculture really intersect here.
39:50
SPEAKER_00: I believe what gives me excitement to look beyond 2025 would be what the community and the whole world is going to accomplish, especially with these type of projects or these type of organizations that are uh focusing on getting clean water back to Lancaster, building, getting community involved.
40:08
SPEAKER_00: Just different things like that get me excited that I could possibly be a part of that.
40:13
SPEAKER_00: And that's gonna be accomplished in in the future.
40:18
SPEAKER_00: Just the idea of a win in this kind of climate that we're in right now, it it keeps me going.
40:24
SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure it keeps a lot of kids and a lot of people going.
40:28
SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
40:29
SPEAKER_02: It's gonna be a really good 2040 that you're a part of it.
40:34
SPEAKER_02: How about you, Mr.
40:34
SPEAKER_02: Vixler?
40:36
SPEAKER_01: As has been said, you know, we have our challenges, but I think there are a lot of reasons for hope.
40:40
SPEAKER_01: And I don't just say that because, you know, it feels better to be optimistic, but no, I genuinely think we have a lot of a lot of reasons for hope, especially related to water and you know, environment the environment that we have here and getting people involved in this.
40:52
SPEAKER_01: I'm a lucky guy to get to do what I do on the day-to-day of getting students involved in these topics.
40:56
SPEAKER_01: I feel excited when I see people sort of catching the vision and acknowledging that this is important and being eager to be part of the solution and help to, you know, be involved in agriculture and make sure that as much as it depends upon us, everybody who calls Lancaster home has food to eat, has clean water that's available to them, um, who wants to do the right thing for the for both the land and the people that we have here.
41:15
SPEAKER_01: And I guess just sort of big picture comment to wrap it up, Lancaster is home for me.
41:20
SPEAKER_01: It has been really for all of my life.
41:22
SPEAKER_01: And I'd say over the last two years, just have grown a real appreciation for everybody who calls Lancaster home.
41:27
SPEAKER_01: And yet, as you, you know, as you've probably heard, so many of us say, Yeah, I'm from Lancaster.
41:31
SPEAKER_01: And yet life can look a lot different depending on where you're at.
41:33
SPEAKER_01: You know, if you grew up in Lancaster City, if you grew up in more rural parts of our county, and it's just a really special thing to think about, man, if we can keep bringing people together, especially people from different backgrounds, get people in the same room, collaborate on these solutions, right?
41:46
SPEAKER_01: And just continue to build the partnerships that we already have in place to think about what that could mean for all of the people who call Lancaster home, that's fulfilling to me.
41:56
SPEAKER_01: And that's when I really start to get excited and I and I see a lot of potential there.
41:59
SPEAKER_01: And we've got a lot of reasons for hope, which is good.
42:01
SPEAKER_02: Oh my cheeks hurt from smiling.
42:04
SPEAKER_02: This is so great.
42:07
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
42:08
SPEAKER_02: I'm excited to be part of it because you guys are part of it.
42:10
SPEAKER_02: And this like warms my heart of my own background in environmental education and working with teachers and students, and it's just so cool.
42:19
SPEAKER_02: So my favorite part and Ken's favorite part.
42:22
SPEAKER_03: My favorite part has just arrived, and that is trivia time.
42:25
SPEAKER_03: Oh boy.
42:28
SPEAKER_03: In honor of Valerie's interest in and your both your your participation in the Agriculture Club FFA.
42:36
SPEAKER_03: I've composed a round of trivia uh around fairly famous clubs, both current and historical.
42:43
SPEAKER_03: I'll give you the club's description of itself.
42:45
SPEAKER_03: You tell me the name of the club.
42:47
SPEAKER_03: You can both work together, by the way.
42:50
SPEAKER_03: All right.
42:50
SPEAKER_03: And if you need it, I have a secondary hint in each of these for you.
42:54
SPEAKER_03: So the first description is the world's largest service organization focused on humanitarian service, strengthening communities and supporting those in need.
43:04
SPEAKER_01: Do we get to discuss?
43:06
SPEAKER_01: Yes, absolutely.
43:07
SPEAKER_01: Okay, good.
43:08
SPEAKER_01: Do you have thoughts?
43:09
SPEAKER_00: I have no thoughts on that.
43:12
SPEAKER_01: The world's lar can you can you repeat?
43:14
SPEAKER_03: I can.
43:15
SPEAKER_03: The world's largest service organization focused on humanitarian service, strengthening communities and supporting those in need.
43:24
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
43:25
SPEAKER_01: So I I think I have two ideas.
43:27
SPEAKER_01: I needed to hear that.
43:28
SPEAKER_01: I'll just say the two and then why.
43:30
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I think it's either the Rotary, which was sort of my first thought, or the Lions Club, which would be my second thought.
43:36
SPEAKER_01: Are you familiar with either of those?
43:37
SPEAKER_01: Do you have a guess?
43:38
SPEAKER_01: I'll let you make the final call, but I think it's either Rotary or Lions Club.
43:41
SPEAKER_00: It's it's the Lions Club.
43:42
SPEAKER_00: I I feel it.
43:42
SPEAKER_00: You think it's the Lions Club?
43:44
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
43:45
SPEAKER_00: Well You are correct.
43:51
SPEAKER_03: Just in case you're wondering, the the secondary hint was the kids' version of the club is called Leo's.
43:57
SPEAKER_03: Second, America's largest youth development.
44:00
SPEAKER_03: Organization empowering nearly six million young people with the skills to go beyond the expected to be beyond ready.
44:10
unknown: Okay.
44:11
SPEAKER_01: These are our friends.
44:12
SPEAKER_01: This is 4-H for sure.
44:14
SPEAKER_01: It is 4-H.
44:15
SPEAKER_01: We do love 4-H.
44:16
SPEAKER_01: 4-H and FFA, man, go hand in hand with that education piece.
44:20
SPEAKER_03: Nice.
44:22
SPEAKER_03: The next one is an organization of service clubs founded on April 11th, 1912.
44:28
SPEAKER_03: The name is an acronym for service to mankind.
44:33
SPEAKER_03: It's actually not an acronym, it's a shortening of service to mankind.
44:36
SPEAKER_03: Yep.
44:37
SPEAKER_03: The organization has clubs all over the United States and Canada.
44:42
SPEAKER_01: Service to mankind.
44:45
SPEAKER_01: Sortoma.
44:46
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
44:47
SPEAKER_03: It is Sortoma.
44:50
SPEAKER_03: Founded by the Jane Goodall Institute, this organization is a global movement focused on community-based projects for youth.
45:01
SPEAKER_01: Roots and shoots?
45:02
SPEAKER_03: It is Roots and Suits.
45:05
SPEAKER_03: Very good.
45:06
SPEAKER_03: Very good.
45:07
SPEAKER_03: Founded in in 1928, it serves over 610,000 students, grades 7 through 12, focusing on hands-on learning, community service, and fostering future leaders in agricultural science, business, and technology.
45:22
SPEAKER_03: Well, I think we know this one.
45:24
SPEAKER_03: I sure hope so.
45:26
SPEAKER_00: FFA?
45:27
SPEAKER_01: It is FFX.
45:29
SPEAKER_01: I do need to say the number, not to correct the trivia here, but I do think the number just last, like within the last two years, has crossed over one million students.
45:40
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
45:40
SPEAKER_01: Excellent.
45:41
SPEAKER_01: Just yeah.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: One million students, one million FFA members.
45:44
SPEAKER_03: Finally, after starting as a traditional club for children fans of a popular cartoon character, it developed a classic influential American children's variety television series that premiered on ABC on October 3rd, 1955.
46:02
SPEAKER_01: Is it like Disney connected?
46:04
SPEAKER_01: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
46:05
SPEAKER_03: It is the Mickey Mouse Club.
46:07
SPEAKER_03: Nice.
46:08
SPEAKER_03: You guys killed it.
46:10
SPEAKER_05: Yes.
46:11
SPEAKER_05: It was awesome.
46:12
SPEAKER_05: Good job, good job.
46:14
SPEAKER_03: Well, that is our trivia.
46:15
SPEAKER_03: That is our show.
46:16
SPEAKER_03: Thank you guys so much for coming here telling us about FFA.
46:20
SPEAKER_03: I'm so impressed with your poise at your age.
46:24
SPEAKER_03: Is I I'm at a loss for words, and that's not easy.
46:28
SPEAKER_03: You never touch Ken.
46:30
SPEAKER_02: Speechless.
46:31
SPEAKER_02: So thank you very much.
46:34
SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much for having us.
46:35
SPEAKER_01: Again, it it wouldn't be possible without people who believed in us, Clean Water Partners included.
46:39
SPEAKER_01: So thank you so much for all that you guys do.
46:41
SPEAKER_02: Oh well, we really appreciate you all as leaders in this work and as leaders in Lancaster.
46:45
SPEAKER_02: Thank you, thank you.
46:47
SPEAKER_03: And we will be back in just a couple of weeks.
46:49
SPEAKER_03: Until then, take care.
46:50
SPEAKER_02: Bye-bye, everybody.
46:53
SPEAKER_03: This episode of Clean Water Conversations is sponsored by RKK, Creative Solutions, Responsive People.
47:00
SPEAKER_03: And produced by Lancaster Clean Water Partners, striving for clean and clear water by 2040.
47:06
SPEAKER_03: If you have comments, suggestions for show topics, or are interested in becoming a show sponsor, please contact us at info at Lancaster Cleanwater Partners dot com.
47:15
SPEAKER_03: Thanks for listening.