Poway High School students can raise livestock and compete at county fairs again after teacher Julia Garceau returned to campus to revive the school's dormant Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter.
The program's first livestock meeting is set for Tuesday, Sept. 22, open to students interested in raising animals judged at the San Diego County Fair. A new greenhouse will break ground in October, Assistant Principal Dominick Spylios told the Poway High student newspaper, the Iliad.
"It feels good to be back; it feels like home," Garceau said.
The chapter also plans monthly meetings and lunch activities. Student Ayla Smith said those gatherings will include line dancing and painting pots.
The revival comes as Poway Unified invests in agricultural education across the district. Trustees unanimously approved a $13,585 grant application to the California Department of Education at the Aug. 6 board meeting, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. If awarded, the money would pay for instructional materials and a new trailer so students can transport animals to local fairs. The district's current trailer is old and may need repairs, according to Hans Becker, executive director of Career Technical Education (CTE) and Adult Education Programs for the district.
The greenhouse is planned to house plants, florals and animals and support preparation for the San Diego County Fair and state competitions. No cost estimate or funding source for the facility has been announced. Lynn McConville, director of PUSD's CTE Department, told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Aug. 25 that the district hoped a new or remodeled agricultural science facility would be built on the Poway High campus "in the coming years."
Poway High already offers courses including sustainable agriculture biology, chemistry and agriscience, art history and floral design, veterinary science, agricultural economics, agricultural government policy, and agricultural science practicum. The district plans to expand agricultural science coursework to Twin Peaks and Meadowbrook middle schools and introduce FFA to middle school students during the 2026-27 school year.
The program has already produced results. Layla Wakelin placed first in Novice Large Animal Master Showmanship and Smith placed first in Advanced Large Animal Master Showmanship at the San Diego County Fair. Those are the two highest awards given to FFA students competing in the large animal category at the fair.
The Sept. 22 livestock meeting is the next step for students who want to get involved. The district has not announced whether the $13,585 state grant was awarded.
