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Agriculture
Page 10 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaywi.com

Healthy Eating and Academic Growth Take Root, Together,

at River Trail School of Agricultural Science

agriculture and even ag careers. By the time and learn about photosynthesis—inspire Mr.
our kids head to Vincent, they’re not afraid of Gonzalez.
dirt, tools, and chickens.” “We’re not saying ‘open your book to
After nearly two decades at River Trail, page 38,’ ” he says. “We’re showing students
the only thing that scares Mr. Gonzalez is food how to use tools responsibly. They’re gather-
insecurity. For him, the COVID-19 pandemic ing pears from the food forest and eggs from
prompted a deeper connection to sustainable our chicken coop to make custard. Fun, tangi-
urban food systems. ble experiences are so important for learning.”
“Seeing empty shelves in our grocery Planting season is several weeks away,
stores was startling,” he remembers. “We all and new ideas are cropping up. Second graders
ought to be able to grow our own food, be just built a fourth hydroponics tower. Families
self-reliant. Teaching agricultural literacy will be asked to share recipes for the collard
empowers students to be more self-sufficient greens that students plant, tend, and harvest.
and embrace healthier lifestyles.” Pecans are not native to Wisconsin and
Mr. Gonzalez and River Trail colleagues Mr. Gonzalez is working on a solution so
divide their 400 students into multigrade River Trail can grow their own. He’s consult-
units and assign agricultural duties that rein- ing with an arborist to graft pecan branches
force academic standards in STEM, social onto hickory tree roots to grow the pecanlike
studies, and other subjects. Fifth graders “hican.” Check back in four years to see how
learn about soil and climate science while it’s going.
tending to the food forest and mentoring K5
students who plot and plant corn, peppers,
Milwaukee Public Schools teaching Milwaukee youth to grow pumpkins and tomatoes. mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us
There’s something about home-grown and pears is a plot twist for Mr. Gonzalez, The “light bulb” moments—for instance,
veggies that even picky eaters can’t resist. who now chairs River Trail’s agriculture com- when students build a hydroponics tower
When students produce their own produce, mittee. Raised and educated in Milwaukee
says award-winning MPS educator Joshua from K5 to college, Mr. Gonzalez had no
Gonzalez, they’re more likely to eat their background in agriculture education when he
veggies—and like them. arrived at the traditional K–8 school in 2006. 2024 Outstanding Educator of the Year
Just before winter break, Mr. Gonzalez’s In 2015, River Trail received a grant
2nd-grade students harvested lettuce from the from the American Heart Association to install
hydroponic towers at River Trail School of raised-bed gardens, and the agriculture educa-
Agricultural Science. With a bottle of ranch tion program grew like a beanstalk. Students
dressing and some words of encouragement, and staff now maintain a food forest of 110
Mr. Gonzalez persuaded 20 2nd graders to chestnut, hazelnut, and pear trees; a chicken
sample their school-grown greens. Then stu- coop; composting operation; two outdoor
dents bagged up the leftovers to share with greenhouses; and other agricultural amenities.
families. Beehive Café, open twice a month, is staffed
“Even kids who don’t eat a lot of veggies by educators and special education students
love eating our lettuce,” he says. “They’re sur- who use school produce to make and sell
prised by how good it is.” soups, salsa, salads, and other dishes.
“Mr. Gonzalez understands how to Gonzalez credits River Trail colleagues
connect real-world experiences for his stu- for launching the school’s agriculture com-
dents,” says MPS climate education coach mittee less than a decade ago. The Milwaukee
Kimberly Talarico. “He does an outstanding Board of School Directors designated River
job integrating urban agriculture practices into Trail a citywide urban agriculture specialty
his curriculum through a variety of lessons school in 2022. Three miles away is Harold
throughout the year.” S. Vincent School of Agricultural Science for
Building a schoolyard chicken coop and high school students. high school students.
Gonzalez collabo-
rates with the high school
to ensure River Trail
graduates are prepared
for advanced lessons and Wisconsin Agriculture in the Class- heart” of River Trail’s agriculture program,
agriculture responsibili- room recently named Mr. Gonzalez its praising his relentless commitment to
ties as Vincent freshmen. 2024 Outstanding Educator of the Year. The securing funding, building resources, and
The schools are among nonprofit cited his leadership in securing motivating others. “I love that my science
America’s only public, funding, building resources, and his enthu- lessons don’t always need a textbook,”
urban, K–12 agriculture siastic teaching, which embed agricultural Gonzalez said. “Seeing students grow, lit-
education programs. literacy into River Trail’s K–8 curriculum erally and figuratively, reminds me why I
“River Trail is the junior and culture. became a teacher.”
varsity,” Mr. Gonzalez Colleagues describe Gonzalez as “the
says. “We are absolutely Congratulations Mr. Gonzalez!
preparing kids for varsity