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WINDSOR

The Isle of Wight County Schools’ Land Lab is the recipient of a $500 grant from Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom. The grant will be used to conduct a Beef Quality Assurance certification course for students at the Land Lab. The program teaches safe handling practices of cattle, as well as proper identification techniques and injection locations. The course will be implemented by Farm Manager Daniel Judkins and Agriculture teacher Jason Brittle.

The grant is one of 62 awarded by Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom totaling $29,000 to 44 Virginia localities for the 2020-21 school year. Funding will be allocated to provide 22,000 youth with agriculture experiences related to gardening, animal agriculture, STEM, health, nutrition and leadership development.

“Grant applications for 2020 reflected the needs for both hands-on and virtual learning,” said Tammy Maxey, Virginia AITC programs director. “Projects represented a wide range of plant and animal educational projects — from the creation of division-wide virtual agri-science videos to revitalizing school gardens. We are pleased to have representation from pre-k through 12th-grade educators from across the commonwealth.”

The IWCS Land Lab is a 30-acre working farm that provides authentic, hands-on learning experiences for students in the agriculture program. The facility includes livestock, pastures, a greenhouse, vegetable garden, and a modern barn and classroom building.

Agriculture in the Classroom is a national program that promotes greater understanding of agriculture through education. The Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom is a nonprofit organization that receives financial and administrative support from Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. For more information, visit AgInTheClass.org.