SAN ANTONIO — A team of teachers at Burbank High School went the extra mile this summer to ensure students have everything they need for the school year.
But their supplies are more than the average pencil and paper - it’s an entire farm to grow crops and raise animals.
Four instructors who are part of the high school’s agriculture program spent their summer vacation maintaining the farm for the first day of school.
The farm is part of a student-run program with three pathways students can choose from including animal sciences, horticulture, and a return program for agriculture engineering.
Teachers were tasked with holding down the fort this summer without students due to staff changes, but they've been able to work ahead on different projects behind the scenes to support students.
Shelby Parker, the high school agriculture science director, said the farm work is truly a year-round commitment.
“Our summer work, we mainly, focused on what can we do to revamp our new program, getting our shop completely cleaned out, reorganization of our tools, doing an inventory, deep cleaning, that kind of thing,” Parker said.
The time the instructors put into the garden and animal pens this summer creates a timely schedule for students to learn what’s needed at the right time.
The land was originally donated to Burbank High School over 80 years ago taking up 75 acres, the farm currently sits on five.
The farm has a garden, animal pens, a greenhouse, and shopping center.
Thomas Vargas, the high school Agro Science Farm Manager said Burbank is one of the only schools in Texas that has a breeding program on site.
"[Animals] don't stop eating on the weekends. They don't stop meeting carrots so we have a lot of pride in our animals. That's the one thing that drives it," Vargas said.
Burbank High School breeds pigs and rabbits. They also own goats, chickens, ducks, quail and sheep.
Vargas said the best part about raising and breeding these animals is that the students are able to buy and own the animals at a reduced price to show in FFA competitions or keep at home.
For Vargas' work, he's ready to see it foster a love for learning.
"Being able to have the students come out here after summer, see things that have been going on, how the program's been getting better. It just makes it worth it," Vargas said.
Beyond the classroom, the program gives extra vegetables to local food banks to help the community.
The program will also participate in farmers markets to sell the goods and those profits will go back into the program.
The program has doubled this upcoming school year to welcome 395 students.
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