Teaching about farming also cultivates faith at Florida Catholic school

Raising ranch animals and gardening is common among the residents in rural Ocala, as is the devotion to Christianity as witnessed on the numerous properties' depictions of the three crosses on Calvary.

Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, which rests on several acres of beautiful landscape housing multiple buildings, a massive football stadium, and even a small, fenced-off section to keep the livestock safe, merges Catholicism and agriculture into one learned experience that serves its students long after they graduate.

For Trinity agriculture teacher Taylor Wear, every day is a chance to celebrate her Catholic faith by instructing her students about the benefits of farming. Wear, an ambitious, rookie teacher at Trinity with a personal history of nurturing farm animals and who holds an academic degree in the field, chose to helm the new agricultural program at Trinity Catholic — the Future Farmers of America, or FFA.

"It is an agriculture course where students will learn everything from integrated pest management to gardening practices to animal science to safety in the field to agribusiness," Wear said, noting the various paths the course covers. She also will instruct her students "how to have a proper interview and apply for a job."

Erika Wikstrom, principal of Trinity Catholic, noted Wear's relentless motivation to the project and said the school is excited about the program and the work.

"(Wear's) passion and commitment to developing the program has been a blessing to our students and community, allowing an opportunity for our students to work with local farms in Ocala," Wikstrom told the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Orlando.

If students do intend to pursue a career in agriculture, Wear ensures them there are numerous job possibilities, ranging from "a feed sales rep to a fertilizer sales rep to a veterinarian," Wear said. "There is a huge range of anything you want to do."

Although Wear controls the program, "the FFA is a club run by the students and they do community service projects," she said. "They go to competitions and leadership conferences."

The FFA also provides awards and scholarships opportunities for members; some scholarships reach several hundred dollars.

Wear and a couple members of the FFA staff gave the Florida Catholic a tour into the livestock section of the campus to gain knowledge of how they raise their animals and develop produce in the greenhouse.

Ashley Sellers is president of Trinity Catholic's FFA chapter. The junior and future veterinarian who hopes to study animal science at the University of Georgia, enjoys the competitiveness the program brings. "(The FFA) really puts us out there to compete with all the other schools in the state of Florida," she said. Her passion is to always represent her school at the top spot.

Allison Wyman, a senior and a reporter for the school who will study in-state for her nursing degree, appreciates the knowledge the program provides for Trinity's students. "It's a lot of fun," she said. "It teaches kids a lot more than you think."