More than 2,000 fourth graders from across the district have visited the Burbank Agricultural Sciences Farm this week for the return of the Ag in the City program, the first time the event has taken place since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This year we said let’s bring it back and let’s bring it back with a bang, so we invited all elementaries across the district,” Shelby Parker, Agriculture Science Director at Burbank High School, said. 

The students visited in six groups over two days (Nov. 14 and 16), touring the farm facilities, engaging with the animals, planting seeds, making simple recipes, and learning about careers and educational opportunities in agriculture. 

“I feel that students need that hands-on experience,” Parker said. “A lot of times you don’t know something until you see it, you get to feel it, you get to experience it, and so having them come out to the farm, they get to do all those things while they are out here and hopefully we can inspire some kids to realize their potential within the ag world.”

For the students in the agriculture program at Burbank, it was their first time getting to serve as tour guides at the outreach event, as the last time it was hosted, even 12th grade students were in middle school.

“I had never heard of it,” senior Alexis Avila said. “But when they told me we were going to work with elementary students, I was like ‘heck yeah!’ I wanted to be here and tell them about all the animals and stuff you can do.”

Avila and other high school students guided the elementary visitors through areas with pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, and bunnies. 

“My favorite part was being able to pet the rabbits because they are my favorite animal,” Aryanna Gonzalez, a fourth grader at Franklin Elementary, said. “All the animals we pet were cool. We pet pigs, rabbits, and goats. Everyone should go to Burbank to see the animals because they are so sweet and make you happy.”

Students also got to explore other areas of agriculture including food sciences, vet tech, and horticulture. 

“I enjoyed visiting the Green House because there were two types of carnivorous plants,” Aaron Davila, also from Franklin, said. He added he would like to go back and see other plants and animals. 

The tours connect to fourth grade Science TEKS in teaching students about earth and space and organisms and environments. In the spring, Parker said the farm will be opened up to field trips for all grade levels, to further expose students to possibilities in agriculture right here in the district. The Burbank students are ready to be tour guides again at any time.

“When they leave, I want them to think ‘this school has a really good program,’” senior Alexis Avila said. “I love this program you can learn so much from your responsibilities here.”