The agriculture program at Buena Park High School has been more than a program to hang out for Raymond Blanco and Urfia Abdul. It’s been a calling for the two students. Both Blanco and Abdul have been part of the agriculture program at Buena Park High School for four years.
The agriculture program at Buena Park High School has been more than a program to hang out for Raymond Blanco and Urfia Abdul. It’s been a calling for the two students. Both Blanco and Abdul have been part of the agriculture program at Buena Park High School for four years.
They come in, tend to the livestock such as Winchester, a hulking white steer looking for some affection and attention. There is Mayo, a crippled black and white cow with an intimidating presence and gait. There are others like the baby sheep that Abdul tends to when she comes to put her volunteer hours in to help keep the program going.
That’s not to mention the baby chickens and other small animals that Blanco, Abdul, and as many as an estimated 500 students at Buena Park High School, caress and take care of through the agriculture program at the school. These students come in and groom the animals, clean their living quarters and become invested into their lives, whatever how short they may be.
All the animals are groomed for eventual showcase when they are purchased. The agriculture program is more than taking take of livestock. The program allows the student to plant and grow shrubbery and fruit trees such as lemon and orange trees.
That may all come to and end soon if there are no changes to Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal to dump all local funds into one vast general fund. This would have an alarming impact on the agriculture program at Buena Park High School and throughout the Fullerton Joint Union High School District.
The Buena Park agriculture program, which serves hundreds of students at the school, could possibly fall victim to budget cuts when Gov. Jerry Brown dumped all categorical funds into a local funding formula. The Fullerton Joint Union High School District, which Buena Park High School is part of, could lose over $ 9 million dollars under the new funding formula. Since both Blanco and Abdul have been part of the program for years they understand the greater impact it would have on the program.
The enjoyment of being part of something productive is a great reason why a number of students don’t mind cleaning up pig slop and sweeping up cow manure or fertilizing the numerous plants on the school campus. The effectiveness of the program is such that over 4,000 heads of lettuce planted and grown by students at the school, comes back to be served for lunch as salad for lunch in the school’s cafeteria, according to Blanco.
Oranges picked from the local trees are also distributed back to the students at the school for eating.
