The Lutheran High Northeast FFA Chapter is living out the FFA motto through “learning to do” with a new animal science project: raising broiler chickens.

With support from the Nebraska FFA Foundation, the chapter received grant funding to start raising and processing broilers. When asked why this project was chosen, chapter advisor Amanda Hafer explained that students need more hands-on experiences that connect to everyday life. “Almost everyone in our community eats chicken,” she said, “and I wanted students to learn what that really involves.” While most FFA members have some experience with large livestock, broilers and other small animals are less familiar. The grant helped purchase four sets of poultry cages, start-up feed, 26 broilers, feeders and waterers, heat lamps, and a large metal tub to house chicks until they can regulate their own body temperature.

Since launching the project, the chapter has raised three sets of broilers and a few pullets, which were given to another teacher at the school. In total, they’ve processed 61 broilers. Processing takes place in the ag shop, and students are able to take fresh meat home to their families. In the classroom, students study avian anatomy and conduct feed experiments, using different protein levels and weighing chicks two to three times a week to track growth. Through this, they learn how to form hypotheses, carry out experiments, and draw conclusions from their data.

Amanda sees the broiler project as a strong option for students' Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), especially for those without a family farm or ag-related business. “Students learn waste and feed management, animal handling, humane processing, avian anatomy, and the difference between pullets and broilers,” she said. “They also gain a deeper respect for the people who raise and process our food.” The project gives students meaningful, real-world experience that ties directly into what they’re learning in class.

The Nebraska FFA Foundation is committed to creating hands-on opportunities for students and helping them explore career paths. The grant for Lutheran High Northeast FFA was sponsored by Farmers Mutual of Nebraska and administered by the Nebraska FFA Foundation.

Agriculture Classroom Funding 

Projects like this are made possible through the Nebraska FFA Foundation’s Chapter/Classroom Grant program. These grants help educators bring hands-on, meaningful ag education to life, just like Lutheran High Northeast’s broiler chicken project.

If you're an agriculture teacher with a great idea but limited resources, we encourage you to apply. Whether you're looking to launch a new initiative or expand an existing one, this grant can help turn your vision into reality.

Visit [Chapter Classroom Grant Application] to learn more and apply. Let’s keep creating powerful learning experiences that prepare students for the future of agriculture.