SAE
Animal SAE's
Cattle
Advisor: Mr. Autry (TrevorAutry@clovisusd.k12.ca.us)
Students own and operate their own beef cattle entrepreneurship throughout the year. All beef cattle projects are auctioned off at the Big Fresno Fair in October.
Goats
Advisor: Mrs. Faraone
EmilyFaraone@cusd.com
During the current kidding season, students get to learn common veterinary and management practices when their does kid. There are 3 school does in our main ruminant animal barn, as well as another 3 out on pasture behind our barns. After kidding, Animal Science students get to learn practices like castration on goats intended to be showring/market wethers to preserve quality of meat due to decreased testerone tainting, dehorning to protect other goats by preventing lacerations, and ear tagging to help with identification.
Sheep
Advisor: Mrs. Knight (jenniferknight@clovisusd.k12.ca.us)
It's almost lambing season at Clovis FFA! Most ewes usually have twins while some may even have triplets or just one during a pregnancy. We currently house 10 ewes that are student or school owned. Lambs produced by our school ewes are raised by students to be shown at fair and sold at market. Along with the ewes is our clean up ram, Frank the Tank, (or just Frankie). He fertilizes ewes that are open and didn't take to AI (artificial insemination).
Students in our Animal Science pathway lab classes are helping students who have ewes that are pregnant. Students process the lambs by vaccinating, ear tagging, & docking tails. Docking tails prevents infection and helps keep the lambs more sanitary.
Breeding Swine
Advisor: Mr. Valdez (davidvaldez@clovisusd.k12.ca.us )
The Swine barn at the McFarlane Coffman Ag center allows students to experience the life cycle of a hog, starting with the farrowing (which is the act of giving birth to pigs) process. Currently the swine barn houses 8 sows & 1 Boar. Right now, no litters of piglets are expected on site. Sows have been re-bred using AI (artificial insemination). Students are preparing for breeding season through practices like keeping their ewes on proper feed rations for soon-to-be-bred sows.
Bees
Member: Erika Nyberg
Erika produces 50 jars of honey a year. Not only does she produce sweet honey but her bees are responsible for pollinating the produce grown on the farm which includes our chapter orchard. Currently, Erika has one hive of honeybees out in the orchard.
Row Crop/ Orchard SAE's
Row Crops
Advisor: Martha Marin
We currently have cover crop planted on the left side of our orchard releasing nitrogen and other nutrients into the soil rejuvenating the soil. On the right side there are several different vegetables finishing up their season like romaine lettuce, multi-colored kale, cauliflower, onions, & fennel. Alongside the vegetables, there are strawberries.
Orchard
Advisor: Martha Marin
Over the summer students were able to harvest Clovis FFA grown produce and sell it at our own little farmers market. Currently our citrus, fruit and almond trees are in blossom.