Cover Story AG DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN AT FRESNO’S FAIRMONT ELEMENTARY
This school is redefining education through an innovative STEM program that brings local agriculture into the classroom.
By Michelle Rivera, Senior Communications Manager
Head of Fairmont's ag program Christine Torosian-Klistoff with student Olivia
In his poem “The Tables Turned,” English poet William Wordsworth wrote, “Come forth into the light of things, let Nature be your teacher.” That declaration is brought to life just 20 minutes outside of Fresno at Fairmont Elementary School, where children can experience something truly unique—perhaps even magical. From kindergarten to eighth grade, students discover science through the exciting framework of local agriculture, gaining knowledge in areas that include ag tech, ag business, ag marketing and animal science. The idea took root just eight years ago when Christine Torosian-Klistoff, now the head of the ag program, met with the school’s principal Jared Savage to discuss ways to make Fairmont extraordinary. That’s when they decided to make the school an ag-focused program. “I said, ‘What if we decided to base our school around agriculture and bring all of the kids their sciences through an ag lens?’ There are so many opportunities with technology and
innovation and agriculture that they wouldn’t otherwise know about,” Torosian-Klistoff said. For Torosian-Klistoff, the idea wasn’t entirely out of nowhere— she had grown up on a farm, where her father grew grapes and alfalfa and raised cattle. Drawing on this deep-rooted knowledge and passion for agriculture, she set out to create practical lessons aimed at providing students with a thorough understanding of agricultural fundamentals and their vital role to the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive food-producing regions in the world. She started small, setting up a chicken coop and several planter boxes in the back of the school. Eventually, she invited the district to view two acres of land that had become available next to the school, and they quickly decided to purchase it. Soon after, Torosian-Klistoff was introduced to Western Growers member Heather Mulholland, a fourth-generation citrus grower and chief operating officer at Mulholland Citrus in Orange Cove. There, the operation produces a diverse array of products,
16 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2024
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