ACGC Member Commits to Ten Year Research Project

ACGC Member Commits to Ten Year Research Project

by Guest Blogger, Emily Pliscott of Kenyon Wanamingo 

When most freshmen are asked what they’ll be doing in 10 years, the answer is uncertain. For Daniel Williamson of the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, this is not the case. In 10 years, he will be nearing the completion of the SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) that he’s starting in his first year of high school.

How is this student so ahead of the game? Plans like Williamson’s could only come from one place-something those of us involved in agricultural education call the three circle model. The perfect balance of classroom learning, leadership development through FFA, and hands on experiences with SAE s steer Ag Ed students onto paths toward success.

For Williamson, this perfect mixture is helping the pursuit of his passions. Taking agriculture classes at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove city provides him with the knowledge needed to apply science, math, and other core classes to real-life situations. His activity in FFA helps this shining Greenhand grow in a different way. Working to attain leadership skills that will last his lifetime, Williamson is currently serving as the Chaplain on his officer team. Developing a talent for advocation, he thoroughly enjoys sharing about agriculture through chapter activities like annual parades and petting zoos. Williamson also began several SAE programs, where hands on learning rounds out the three circle model of agriculture education.

Daniel collected water samples
weekly to test for clarity/turbidity.

This bright student’s passion for keeping waterways clean is one that stems from the practices on his family farm. Williamson claims that his family puts a huge importance on water quality, and bases his Supervised Agricultural Experience off of this value. Searching for an outlet to explore his interest in water, Williamson decided to begin long term experiments that will help keep water clean for future generations.

Williamson has several projects dealing with water conservation. One of these is collecting water from a field drainage ditch near his family’s farm. He is working in his watershed district to test for nitrate in water, sending samples to a lab in Detroit. When he receives the data analyzed in the lab, he will use this information to determine the best farming practices for his area.

Daniel collected water samples to be
tested for phosphates and nitrates.

Recently, Williamson partnered with his local conservation office to begin a second project that will have a duration of approximately 10 years. This deals with the creation of floating wetlands, where Williamson buries a spongy material in the ground of wetland areas. He then places native plants in this spongy soil medium which is ideal for their growth. The plants take in chemicals such as nitrate from the water and help clean up waterways.

When asked which phrase would describe his project, Williamson orients on the future, saying that his experiment “needs some results.” He’s excited to seek comparisons of data and figure a way to improve water quality and establish cleaner farming practices. With this forward looking approach, this shining Greenhand will go far in both FFA and water conservation. Agriculture students like Daniel Williamson are a harbinger for a bright continuance of the positive traditions in American agriculture.