Amanda Jacobs, a junior attending Buena Park High School, is one of 500 students at the school, following her passion and raising “Kane,” a 400-pound steer to become part of the food-chain of America when he reaches 1,300 pounds.
The National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America) envisions a future where all agricultural education students can discover their passion in life and build on that to chart the course their educations, career and personal future.
Amanda Jacobs, a junior attending Buena Park High School, is one of 500 students at the school, following her passion and raising “Kane,” a 400-pound steer to become part of the food-chain of America when he reaches 1,300 pounds.
The National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America) envisions a future where all agricultural education students can discover their passion in life and build on that to chart the course their educations, career and personal future.
BPHS has an Agricultural Department, headed up by agriculture teachers Jessica Fernandes who has been a BPHS agriculture teacher for 7 years, along with Scot Worrell and Mary Ann Maxfield.
Students in the agricultural class raise steers, pigs, chickens, rabbits, turkeys and sheep, which are brought to the school from Colorado by a collaborative effort of the agricultural teachers, to give the students a better purchasing price.
Amanda said she is following in the footsteps of her two older sisters who also participated in the program before her, at Sonora High School, in La Habra.
“I became attached to raising steers after watching my sisters for three years,” Jacobs said.
She said her parents have mixed feelings about raising animals.
“My dad has learned to live with us three girls raising animals,” Jacobs said. “We give him ‘trouble’ and we have our attitude but he and my mom have really supported us. My mom loves it 100 percent – and always asks if I need to go to the farm and feed the animals.”
Amanda is participating in a nine-month program of raising her steer.
“This is the best project because its nine months and I get to spend more personal time with Kane and watch him grow from 400 pounds to 1,300 pounds,” she said. “He’s food, and when he weighs 1,300 pounds, he will be sold at market.”
Although Jacobs knows Kane is part of the food chain, she said she does get attached to the animals she raises, noting that Kane learned to come to her when she called his name within the first few months.”
“When he first came here, he didn’t like anyone but through training and personal time with him, he has gotten to know his name; he’s amazing,” she said.
Jacobs said she has named all of her steers after Hockey players; Kane, the steer, is named after Hockey player Patrick Kane, of the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Although I’m a Ducks fan myself, it’s an honor to watch Patrick Kane play hockey,” she said. Feeding an animal takes consistency, Jacobs said, and too much hay and grain can make them bloated and fat.
Kane is an exact replica of her last steer, except for his back hoofs having white booties.
“At first, Kane ran away from me because he was scared, but I said, ‘I need to get him; he’s going to be mine,'” Jacobs said.
As part of the steer-raising process, Kane will participate in market and showmanship classes; Market classes show how the animal will be placed in auction, and judged for body structure and meat supply.
Showmanship is based on how well the owner presents the animal, including attitude and technique.
Jacobs is also raising a pig, she recently acquired through the same FFA program. She pays for the animals straight from her own bank account, and a steer costs approximately $500.
Most of the steers in the BPHS FFA program are privately owned and go to the owner of the animal.
“If you want a steer but don’t want to go to auction, you have to get a private buyer such as a store or an individual or anyone interested in purchasing the steer after it’s raised,” she said. “A private buyer pays for the bills and food and then at the end of the year, the steer is slaughtered and the meat goes to the private buyer.”
This year, Jacobs bought Kane and then found a private buyer, so her investment of $500 will come back to her.
“I like taking risks no matter what it is,” she said. “This is why I’m completely involved. I love doing this so the risk is worth it. Kane is a very curious and bright steer and selling him will come with tears; I will cry and miss him but it’s part of the process.”
Jacobs praised the FFA program.
“Most people don’t know that 97 percent of the world’s food comes from California agriculture,” she said. “All of the farmers grow crops, and animals come in all categories. It is pretty amazing.”
Fernandes said the FFA program helps students grow and gives them the ability to learn responsibility.
“There are 75 animals going to the Orange County Fair for auction from BPHS,” Fernandes said. “Students have to work to get hours as part of the FFA program, and 60 percent is class work, 20 percent is FFA leadership activities and 20 percent is supervised agricultural experience hours.
Students have to work hours, and earn points, in order to graduate.
“Points can be acquired by fun activities and they can enjoy new experiences that they wouldn’t otherwise get to experience,” Fernandes said. “It’s a social experience too.”
For Easter, students in the Floral Design Class and FFA participated in assembling floral arrangements that were pre-sold to members of the community, who purchase flowers form the school on an on-going basis.
“Staff and supporters of the program buy the floral packages.”
For Buena Park High School FFA and Floral Design information and to purchase from the Floral Design class, visit BuenaParkFFA.com.
