Cal State Polytechnic College - El Rodeo Yearbook (San Luis Obispo, CA)

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 DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION The objective of the agricultura! courses is to prepare the student to enter a farming vocation, either as owner, manager or foreman, or as a skillful agricultural worker. The keynote of the method of instruction em- ployed is the opportunity for the student to work with the livestock, poul- try or agricultural enterprises in which he is interested, carrying it thru the entire cycle of purchase, production and marketing, under conditions similar to those which would be met in actual farm operations. The class instruction in the lower division course deals with the rela- tive importance of major farming enterprises. It provides study in selec- tion and management of livestock, poultry, fruit and field crops. Regular class time is devoted to supervised instruction and practice in doing the common farm jobs involved in carrying on these enterprises. Additional practical experience is gained by pupils who find part-time employment with the general farm work, the herds and flocks, the poultry unit, and the management of the fruit and field crops. This course deals with beef and dariv cattle, sheep, hogs, horses, poultry, related field crops and horticul- ture. The instruction in the upper division is given on three levels, namely: (1) course based on projects; (2) course based on advanced supervised practice; and (3) instruction based on supervised commercial farm practice. 1. Courses based on projects: The instruction is based on the study required and the experience gained in planning, carrying on and analyzing the student-owned individual projects. The student will normally carry one or more major projects with additional minor projects in related en- terprises. 2. Courses based on advanced supervised practice: After a successful completion of the project courses the student will be given an opportunity to carry on an advanced supervised practice program based on production, management and marketing of the livestock and products from the school units now in operation. Students are assigned to farm units according to their major interest and keep accurate records of the transactions involved. 3. Supervised commercial farm practice: As a final check on the abil- ity of the student to successfully carry on farming under typical California conditions, arrangements are being completed to provide opportunity for students to work under supervision on a typical commercial meat animal, dairying, poultry, field crops or horticultural farm. Satisfactory completion of this supervised work as evidenced by the recommendation of the farm owner or manager is helpful in placing students upon completion of their instruction. Related subjects including agricultural mechanics, farm business management, farm English and agricultural science are given. Insofar as possible the content of related subjects is based directly on subject matter supplied by the major course in which the student is enrolled. The agricultural mechanics course is designed to fit the prospective farmer to economically care for and operate the machinery on the typical California farm. To do this, students carry on construction projects as well as farm machinery repair work on a large scale.