Photo by Crystal Reed
One of Okaw Valley’s heifers with her baby that was born on January 7. Through an ADM Cares grant this year the ag program was able to purchase two bred heifers and one bred gilt. The two heifers will be the foundation of the Okaw Valley Ag Beef program.

•January 20, 20201•
By Crystal Reed
NP Writer
Housed in a blue nondescript building behind Okaw Valley High School is a unique hands-on experience that allows students to learn about agriculture while they are still in school. Okaw Valley High School ag instructor Wes Wise believes that his program is offering an experience no one else in Illinois is doing.
The Okaw Valley ag program was started in 2016 in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers which involved an ag lease in exchange for in-kind services. The past two years the program has received ADM Cares grants.
The goal for the program is to build a university farm on the high school level. They have a land lab and land for agronomy as well as a science, fishery, tree and wildlife program.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.