July 6, 2 0 0 6
Spílyay T y tn o o
Pdge 5
Pigs and kids: project teaches
students about agriculture
Bacon will be sizzling at the
Beymer house soon.
Pink and Kelly Beymer, own
ers o f Chilkat Construction,
purchased a pig that local stu
dents raised as part o f a project
Unking fourth graders and the
OSU Extension Office.
Fara Currim said the project
stem m ed from a cooking
project that they conduct with
fifth graders.
“This year we just decided to
branch out,” Currim said.
Students raised two pigs that
were housed behind the exten
sion office in a makeshift pen.
Once a month, they would go
to learn about the pigs— some
thing that involved learning
about spelhng, reading and es
pecially math, Currim said.
“The kids weighed their pigs
every single time they came,”
she said. “They trained their pigs
to do it.” Students had log
books to record results.
Many students also stopped
by on a daily basis, to feed the
pigs after school.
According to Currim, “They
just loved it. I think kids and
animals are just a natural com
bination.”
“It’s really a great program,”
Currim said. “But it’s kind o f
an intense program. You talk
about all these different critters
and it kind o f gets overwhelm
ing.” For that reason, they chose
to stick to pigs.
• However, Currim said, “Re-
Photo courtesy of Fara Currim
Fourth grade students raised two pigs.
ally the kids got a good over
view of animal management in
general.”
The Beymer’s bought one of
the pigs in auction, and said they
were happy to do what they
could to support the program.
“We just like to support the
community in any way we can,
and we think more kids should
get into agriculture and raising
livestock,” Kelly said.
Pinky added that they also
wanted to support Currim in all
that she does for the 4-H pro
gram.
“Fara is doing a really good
job teaching these kids the ba
sics,” Kelly said.
“Agriculture used to be big
on the reservation. It just kind
o f went away,” Pinky explained.
“Plus, I think it helps the kids
have a lot o f fun, too.”
The project is a good one,
Leslie Mits/Spilyay Tymoo
Kelly said, because “It’s show
ing the kids where their food
comes from.”
Three local businesses do
nated money so that the exten
sion office could donate the pig
to the local senior program.
Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Re
sort and Casino, Warm Springs
Forest Products and the Power
Enterprise all pitched it to pay
for the cost o f slaughter and
preparation.
Currim said the project will
be continuing next year.
—
By Leslie Mitts
Hyde Tools
1 0 % O ffi
Putty knives, Scrapers, Utility Knives
Madras Paint & Glass
1 0 7 6 SW H w y 9 7 in M a d ra s , ph. 4 7 5 -2 1 6 6
Open 8:00-5:30 M-F; 9-4 Sat
idian Dreams Tradin'
Visit our website at:
T u m a lo O r e g o n
On Hw v 20 w est
wwww.indiandreamstrading.com
Pinky and Kelly Beymer purchased a pig to support the
project and Currim’s efforts.
-Hour Towing
Repair
&
Auto Sales
A •• * :■
Free towing w/engine or trans
replacement front Warm
Springs & Madras area
w t ïm p u jv
I
TECHNiOANS
! sM she«?
Í
CrtKl««Û»h> ,
UNîTiERSiTATiE]
B A T T E R IE S
475 - 6618
330 S.W. Culver Hwy.
Madras, OR 97741
Free Battery Check
& Installation
with purchase