The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has recognized the winning teams in the fall 2019 Purple Plow Challenge, Growing Green. The Purple Plow engages students in creating solutions for real-world, complex issues related to agriculture.
Each team received a 3-D printer and a $100 gift card for their class. The following teams were selected as the winners in this national competition:
- Canton Solar 8, Canton RV School District in Canton, Missouri; educator – Lezlie Durst
- Canton Hydro 10, Canton RV School District in Canton, Missouri; educator – Lezlie Durst
- Milk Barn, Peggy Heller School in Atwater, California; educator – Marlene Larios
- Cow Farm, Peggy Heller School in Atwater, California; educator – Marlene Larios
The spring Purple Plow Challenge contest, Growing Green, ran Aug. 1 to Nov. 22. Agriculture consumes large amounts of energy in the production of our food. Farms consume energy both indirectly through the use of diesel, electricity, propane, natural gas, and renewable fuels as well as directly through the use of fuel in the production of fertilizers, pesticides, and feedstock. In this challenge, students learned about energy in various forms, then designed, built, and shared a solution that diversifies energy consumption.
Purple Plow is a free STEM-education platform for middle-school and high-school educators. Students research scenarios related to food, hunger and sustainability and build their own prototypes to solve problems. The resources — provided for facilitators, students and volunteers — are written by teachers, aligned to national learning standards, and reviewed by industry experts. The next Purple Plow Challenge will open Jan. 6.
Purple Plow is a special project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The resources are made possible through the generous support of the title sponsor, Corteva Agriscience.
Visit their website for more information on Purple Plow Challenges and other free resources. You can also follow the Purple Plow on Twitter.
