AGRICULTURE IN KENTUCKY IS ONE OF THE STATE’S LEADING AND MOST VITAL INDUSTRIES, CONTRIBUTING ABOUT $45.6 BILLION TO KENTUCKY’S ECONOMY EACH YEAR. KENTUCKY AGRICULTURE IS ALSO CONSTANTLY CHANGING TO KEEP UP WITH CONSUMER DEMAND AND THE EVER-GROWING WORLD POPULATION.
STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO SELECT FROM TWO COLLAB EXPERIENCES. STUDENTS MAY EXPLORE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, HORTICULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE NATURAL RESOURCES COLLAB, OR STUDENTS MAY FOCUS ON THE STUDY OF ANIMAL & FOOD SCIENCES IN THE FOOD SCIENCES AND ANIMAL SCIENCES COLLAB. THE AGRICULTURE COLLABS WILL CONNECT WITH A VARIETY OF PLACES THROUGHOUT OUR REGION, INCLUDING BERNHEIM FOREST. STUDENTS WILL TRAVEL TO BERNHEIM ON A REGULAR BASIS TO EXPLORE & LEARN. THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES, STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES COLLAB
What is Agriculture and how does it impact the world around us? What is the value of plant science to our world? Why is sustainability essential to modern Agriculture?
PLANT & ANIMAL SCIENCES COLLAB
What is Agriculture and how does it impact the world around us? What is the value of Animal Agriculture to our world? How does Agriculture impact my future story development?
QUARTERLY ASSESSMENTS IN THE COLLAB
AGRISCIENCE FAIR
All students in the Ag Collab explore a topic in agriculture through the Agriscience Fair in Quarter 3. Over the course of the Spring Semester, students select a topic, design and complete research, write a college level research paper, and present their findings at the annual NCS Ag Collab Agriscience Fair in April. Winners of the local contest are invited to compete at the KY FFA State Convention in June. In 2023, the Ag Collab had 10 projects selected as State Champions!! Those winners then advanced to the National FFA Agriscience Fair in the fall. There were 3 projects selected to be National FInalists (Top 10) and several others landed among the Top 15. Explore the links from our National FInalists to learn more about their projects and celebrate the work of Ag Collab students!!
Christian Ashby &
Tommy Zabenco
(9th in the Nation)
Environmental & Natural Resource Systems
DUAL CREDIT AND EARLY COLLEGE
STUDENT SCHEDULE
Students will spend half of the day at the home high school and half of the day engaged in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Community Collab.
CREDENTIALING & EARLY COLLEGE
Students will have the opportunity to receive dual credit toward an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Agriculture with Elizabethtown Community & Technical College. Scholarships are available to cover a majority of the cost.
BOLDED COURSES EARN DUAL CREDIT THROUGH ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
BOLDED COURSES EARN DUAL CREDIT THROUGH ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
THROUGHOUT THE PATHWAY STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD IN THE FFA ORGANIZATION.
ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
The Collab work at Bernheim is supported by USDA SPECA grant 2021-14164 project accession 1026585 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
NCS Hydroponics and Greenhouse programs are supported by the USDA Farm to School grant program.