ABOVE: NuWay-K&H representative Derrek Russenberger uses a corn cob piece while teaching Fairmont High School students about harvesting corn while on the school district’s nine acre piece of Hunt Farm.

FAIRMONT – With harvesting season here, students in Fairmont High School’s Ag program got to ride along in a combine as the corn planted in their field was harvested.

The school owns nine acres of Hunt Farm, a property donated to them in 1990. The original donation was 125 acres of land, of which 116 acres were sold for $1.29 million in Dec. 2023. The money was put into the Hunt Farm Trust Fund for scholarships and educational opportunities.

FFA Advisor and Ag Teacher Nick Pease said working with this section of land started last year with a class in precision farming.

“We weren’t sure exactly what route it was going to take with the farm out here, but we wanted to get a class going so kids can understand how farming technology works and the way that it applies to your everyday life.”

Once the purchase was finalized and nine acres remained, Pease said they moved forward with planting. He said the students got input on how crops would be planted, what varieties to use, and how corn and soybeans would be rotated over time.

Fairmont’s Ag program covers a variety of kids from several different backgrounds. FFA Advisor and Ag Teacher Andrew Moeller said this program is able to educate both farm and non-farm kids.

“When we have a group of students like this; there’s only a couple of them that come from a farming background,” he said. “We as educators acknowledge we’re not really teaching the next generation of producers. Our goal is to have a more informed public. Instead of learning as much of the production side of things, it’s more of the science behind why the industry does what they do.”

Fairmont’s Ag program partners with NuWay-K&H to assist in the program. NuWay representative and Fairmont Ag Board Member Brice Muenstermann said they work to provide inputs for seed, crop protection and crop nutrients among others. They also worked with students on soil sampling as part of NuWay’s educational partnership goals.

“Trying to make it a learning ability for a lot of the kids,” NuWay-K&H representative Derrek Russenberger said. “Even though we’re in more of an agriculture community, there’s still a lot of them that don’t have the opportunity to see this side of things. We’re trying to make an opportunity for them to learn about all the decisions we make in farming.”

Each student got a chance to ride in the combine harvesting the corn they helped pick with Matt Streit, who planted, harvested and hauled the grain to independent ethanol producers. The proceeds from harvested corn go right back to the students.

Fairmont Superintendent Andy Traetow, who was out with the students while their crops were harvested, said the land retained for experiential farm learning has had great yields.

“For our FFA students to be engaged and involved in the farming process from crop selection to harvest, where we’re at here today,” he said. “It’s amazing to have our kids out here to be engaging in this process.”