How are we going to globally compete to raise more protein and do so with less land and water?” asked Eddy, who explained that while a pound of fish can be raised on just three gallons of water, it takes nearly 1,800 gallons of water to raise a pound of beef. “Aquaponics is a natural solution because you can raise a good, high quality product this way using less land and water. I see aquaponics becoming our next big growth industry in ag.”
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Eddy also serves as the school’s FFA advisor. The Southeast Polk FFA program currently boasts 175 members – one of the largest in the state of Iowa. The group is a 100% membership chapter, which means that any Southeast Polk student wanting to participate can join. “This gives every Southeast Polk student the opportunity to get involved,” said Eddy. “It’s so rewarding to help kids from all walks of life discover just how cool agriculture can be.”
The group works on several community projects throughout the year, in addition to FFA sanctioned activ- ities and events. In May, the students created flower baskets to hang in nearby Altoona’s old downtown using plants grown in the school’s greenhouse. “This experience was good for my students, the city and the community,” said Eddy with pride.
Eddy also maintains a strong presence in the ag business community and is always on the lookout for opportunities for his students. “Whenever I speak with ag business owners I ask them what they’re looking for in a new employee so I can share this with my students,” said Eddy. “The things I hear most are that they want them to be inquisitive, work well within a group of people, be a leader and have the drive to do a job well. I feel FFA does an excellent job helping students develop skills like these which really can’t be taught, but must be experienced instead.”
He added, “As educators, we work to get our students to a point where they will go out and be a contrib- uting member of society. I feel a strong ag education, in conjunction with the skills learned through FFA, help get students excited and makes them realize they can do anything.”
Equipment dealerships can play a role in this process. “When I ask kids the first day they take one of my classes what they think of when I say agriculture, they always say, farming,” reflected Eddy. “Southeast Polk is a big school. A lot of our students will have a career in agriculture somewhere and they don’t even know it. My challenge is how to get that connection made so they can come and see what modern agricul- ture is all about.”
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