Most students engaged in livestock only get the experience and the paycheck after selling their animals. However, for one student, senior Josephine Brenckle, livestock led her to an influential opportunity in Harrisburg. After showing her steer at the Big Knob Fair, Sue Vogel, wife of Pennsylvania Senator Elder Vogel, spoke to Brenckle. She offered her an opportunity to represent the student body of Western Pennsylvania at Harrisburg to discuss agriculture education. After the conversation, Brenckle and Ms. Diane Workman, FASD Superintendent, got together and discussed their trip.
Their trip was scheduled for Nov. 14-15. It started with a five-hour ride on the Amtrak. All expenses were paid, including a hotel on the outside of Harrisburg during their stay. They arrived at Harrisburg at around noon and met with Senator Vogel at the State Capitol. There, Brenckle and other students from Western Pennsylvania got the opportunity to meet many organizations and people that are involved with agriculture in Pennsylvania, including Chris Hoffman, president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, and Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Senate Secretary of Agriculture.
At the capital, Brenckle and Workman learned about the lack of agriculture science in Western Pennsylvania. The area has few resources and not many people are making efforts to teach agriculture. The idea of inviting students and their administrators to the Capitol is seemingly to help change this hard fact.
“I got to reach out to people in the agriculture industry on the issues in Western Pennsylvania and the need for more resources. This way, teachers and students can learn to show materials to students in a way that interests them in agriculture,” Brenckle said.
Her trip was not just talking to lawmakers, however. Brenckle also got a lot of opportunities to enjoy her stay at Harrisburg. She was able to explore the building and take in what some consider to be the most beautiful Capitals in the United States. Fitted with 23-karat gold and detailed murals, she was astonished by the building. The visit even allowed her to be introduced on the Senate floor. Not only this, but she also got to learn about the future of agriculture at Penn State Harrisburg. Industrial hemp is a lesser-known material that can be used for a variety of purposes. Unlike its natural counterpart, industrial hemp utilizes the benefits of the plant while containing very little THC, the chemical that makes hemp notorious. Industrial hemp is a plant that can help pave the future with more durable and sustainable clothing and other fabrics.
The trip to Harrisburg has started to make an impact here in Freedom, despite its recency. For starters, while Brenckle wanted to pursue a career in real estate in the future, she also now sees an interest in agricultural science as well. Meeting people who want to make the situation better has made her want to get involved, too.
“While I will be gone next year, I will be able to help underclassmen with interests in agriculture. It is important for students to explore their interests and learn what they want to do when they leave high school,” Brenckle said.
As for Workman, she is looking into bringing more resources and courses into Freedom that promote agriculture. This includes a stakeholder advisory group with students included to help make this vision a reality.
“The most important thing that Josie and I learned was that there are unlimited career pathways to support agriculture – food science, technology, soil conservation, bio-research, water filtration, legal/attorneys, et cetera,” Workman said.
In time, Freedom may be paving a path to bring a wave of agricultural science into the area. With the support of lawmakers and our superintendent, rapid change is sure to come. The future of agriculture in Freedom will look back and see the center of this change was Josephine Brenckle.