Going to school at the Ranch

Macie and Baylee Budde wouldn’t have picked broccoli as their favorite food a year ago, much less cared about where it was grown.

Now, after spending seven months in the Ranch After School Program at the Orange County Fairgrounds, the Davis Magnet School fourth- and fifth-graders have a newfound appreciation of where their food comes from.

“It’s definitely changed the way they eat,” the sisters’ mother, Dana Budde, said of the program. “They wouldn’t really eat vegetables before. Now, they can tell if it’s organic, and where it’s grown, just by looking at it.”

Nearly 70 students, their families, principals and teachers packed into the Centennial Farm’s barn Thursday evening to recognize the elementary school students’ participation in the after-school program, which teaches kids the importance of agriculture, even in an urban setting like Orange County.

The program serves students in grades 4 to 6 at College Park, Killybrooke, Paularino and Sonora elementary schools, as well as Davis.

More than 700 children have graduated from the program since its inception 13 years ago, said Evy Young, ranch program coordinator.

“In such an urban setting it’s rewarding to see the progress the students make,” she said. “They seem more open to trying new things and have a better understanding of the influence agriculture has on their day to day lives.”

In addition to growing their own food, students care for the farm’s animals and learn to make goods like leather bookmarks and coin purses from animal by-products, Young said.

To graduate from the program, the students complete a poster project and take a test that illustrates how much they’ve learned.

“When we took the test at the beginning of the year, I only knew one question,” Macie said. “At the end, when we took the same test again, I knew them all. It’s a great feeling.”

For Ava Muniz, a fourth-grader at Sonora Elementary, caring for the animals was the best part of the program. Her favorite goat, Sharky, will always have a special place in her heart.

“He doesn’t have an actual name, but my friend and I named him Sharky because he likes to bite things,” she said laughing as the white-and-brown goat stuck his head through the wood planks to chew on her T-shirt.

The program helps students not only learn about agriculture and livestock, but also builds confidence and teaches them the importance of teamwork, said Sonora Principal Christine Anderson.

“They have so much fun with it,” she said. “Next to band and show choir, they all want to be in the ranch program.”