Busting Myths and Opening Doors: How One Ag Teacher is Making an Impact in the Pork Industry
It's not easy to be an award-winning FFA advisor, but Riley Hintzsche of Streator Township High School in Illinois, makes it look that way.
His passion to help students find a career in agriculture is one of the reasons why he takes advantage of the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence's Destination Pork high school curriculum.
“It provides an opportunity for kids to see what they do and don’t know about the pork industry and take a look at their future, really looking at the industry and what is possible,” he explains.
Plus, Hintzsche appreciates the two pathways Destination Pork offers: Pathway to the Industry and Pathway to Your Future.
Not only does the curriculum open students' eyes to the pork industry, but it also provides insight into job and career opportunities. The best part? It's free.
“The career aspects and highlights in Destination Pork are important to me,” Hintzsche stated. “There’s a huge gap in understanding with students wanting to be involved in pork production. Anytime there’s opportunity to show what life is really like outside our school, those highlights make a difference for our students, illustrating what they can do and sink their teeth into.”
Practically speaking, Hintzsche says the format, including PowerPoint presentations, is ideal for students. It allows them to get involved and engaged without getting bored by long lessons. The interactive elements also address different student learning styles, which he says provides even more value to him as an educator.
Riley Hintzsche says the two curriculum options allow him to work with students to understand each corner and aspect of the pork industry.
It's Time to Bust Myths About Modern Pig Farming
He points out that there can be a negative public connotation at times when it comes to farrowing houses and modern pig farming practices. Students sometimes come in with a negative perception - not based on knowledge or experience, but on what they see in social media.
Streator FFA farrows two sows each year in their greenhouse, giving students irreplaceable experience with the process, he says.
“After four years watching a pig farrow, understanding almost every piglet survived the birthing and weaning process, and gaining a better understanding of modern agriculture including farrowing crates, medication, and antibiotics, perceptions change,” he says.
Hintzsche appreciates that the hands-on experience with farrowing along with Destination Pork’s curriculum make a great combination for students and for him as their ag educator.
“When I take a look at Destination Pork, I see the opportunity it provides for students as a really great access point to understanding pork production without me putting in an overwhelming amount of effort. I can work with students to understand each corner and aspect of the industry," he adds.
The life of an ag teacher is constantly busy so for Hintzsche, Destination Pork is something quick, accessible and creates opportunities for students to excel in the classroom.
Streator FFA farrows two sows each year in their greenhouse, providing unique opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning.
How Can You Help Spread the Word?
It's not hard to make an experience like this happen in your school. Ag educators are welcome to download the Destination Pork curriculum from the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence website for review and implementation in their own classrooms.
The two curriculum pathways include:
- Pathway to the Industry is an instructor-led experience designed for an Introduction to Agriculture course. Content and objectives are aligned with AFNR (Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources) standards and focus on pork production. Pathway to the Industry features a seven-lesson unit broken into 10 45-minute sessions. Topics include an overview of the pork industry, pig anatomy, the pork production cycle, pig caretaking and well-being, pig behavior, pork reproduction (breeding and genetics), and environmental stewardship of the pork industry.
- Pathway to the Future, a student-led experience designed for independent study, uses an online module. Students identify and initiate paths to a career in the pork industry. Content focuses on career exploration and individual competencies and includes a series of independent courses consisting of four 30-minute sessions. Topics covered in the independent courses are value of the pork industry, challenging misconceptions of the pork industry, the people who work in the pork industry, and personal destination mapping within the pork industry. Additional experiential activities, which are optional elements of the Pathway to the Future module, revolve around four 60-to-90-minute sessions.
Read More:
