A $500 Agriculture in the Classroom grant has been awarded to a pair of Poplar Bluff High School teachers partnering on a food sustainability and waste management project involving Family and Consumer Science students.

FACS instructors Missy Cox and Candace Hovis were presented with the funding from the Missouri Farm Bureau Foundation of Agriculture earlier this school year at the Butler County Farm Bureau office on Kanell Boulevard.

“Our country throws away approximately 40 percent of our food supply; however, by providing this opportunity, students will learn about zero-waste cooking through food preservation methods and composting,” the successful grant proposal stated. “This will foster a better understanding of the farm-to-table concept.”

Project materials include two 50-gallon rain barrels, two heavy-duty raised garden beds, and one galvanized bed with a covered greenhouse combination. Additionally, there is a 43-gallon dual-chamber outdoor compost tumbler, a 50-foot water hose and topsoil purchased locally.

Thus far, the faculty duo has reported using the composting bin as of the end of September, with plans for guttering and a downspout to be installed by district maintenance in a courtyard area of the campus behind the FACS classroom, so that the rain barrel watering system can be established.

The goal of the project, as outlined in the proposal, is to equip students with the knowledge and skills requisite to plant, grow and harvest fresh produce; prepare healthy meals and snacks using the produce from the garden; and learn composting methods for zero-waste cooking.

The foundation’s classroom mini-grant program has allocated a total of $12,000 in competitive funds across the state, aiming to share the message of agriculture in K-12 classrooms. Applications solicited through May were evaluated by a panel of judges composed of educators and agricultural leaders.

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Cutline: (From left) Missy Cox and Candace Hovis pick up an Agriculture in the Classroom grant award on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Butler County Farm Bureau insurance office.