The long-anticipated $8 million educational facility known simply as the Farm has officially opened its gates, marking a new era for agricultural and career-technical education within the Sarasota County Schools system. Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony in September, the 40-acre campus adjacent to McIntosh Middle School now offers students from across the district a state-of-the-art space for hands-on learning about everything from food science and animal husbandry to advanced hydroponics.
The successful resurrection of the Farm, which involved transforming an aging facility into a modern agricultural hub, is a testament to extraordinary community collaboration. The project’s partners run the gamut of educational, environmental, and economic drivers and include the Sarasota County Farm Bureau, the Sarasota County Fair Association, Suncoast Technical College, Sarasota’s Soil and Water Conservation District, and Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, which is collaborating on expanding the Farm’s aquaculture pathway.
Farm Manager Kate Traugott, affectionately known as “Farmer Kate,” says the Farm’s community partnerships greatly enhance the Farm as a powerful, immersive instructional tool.
“Our partners support us here by being community advocates for agriculture, education, sustainability, and conservation,” Traugott says, “and they advocate for the ability of facilities like ours to be public, so that all students have these learning opportunities.”
Raising Cattle, Growing Leaders
A cornerstone of the Farm’s revitalization is the beef cattle husbandry project, a year-round commitment supported by long-standing partnership with the Sarasota County Cattlemen’s Association and the UF/IFAS Extension’s 4-H Youth Development program. This initiative honors the land’s legacy, which has been connected to 4-H and youth agriculture since at least the 1950s, long before it became a school district facility.
Whether they’re raising an animal for competitive showing, breeding, or market sales, every student and their families commit to an intensive endeavor. Traugott points to Munchkin, a steer that currently resides at the Farm, to illustrate how each cattle husbandry project demands significant technical expertise and long-range planning skills.
“Munchkin was our first calf, born here on-site in the new barn. He was exhibited at the Sarasota County Fair last year as part of a student’s cow-calf project,” Traugott says. “So he represents over three years of this student’s planning and dedication to obtain and raise a heifer, correctly time her breeding for exhibiting a cow-calf pair, and then go on to raise the calf to show and sell as a market steer.”
“Our partners support us here by being community advocates for agriculture, education, sustainability, and conservation. They advocate for the ability of facilities like ours to be public, so that all students have these earning opportunities.”
4-H members, Addison Porter and Ava O’Mahoney with Chickens King Henry and Napolean
Students also learn about veterinary care, nutrition and feeding, genetic selection, biosecurity protocols, and utilizing industry-standard equipment.
While the Farm provides the facility and essential equipment, the 4-H program offers the curriculum and structure for personal development. UF/IFAS 4-H Youth Development Extension Agent Sarah Davis highlights that these projects cultivate crucial abilities beyond agricultural production.
“Developing workforce-ready skills has always been at the root of what 4-H does. Kids are learning about communication, how to interact with individuals of all ages, and public speaking, especially when talking to judges,” Davis explains. “When they track feeding, watering, and vet bills, they’re learning to maintain records, which is a key skill you can take to any career. Ultimately, the Farm’s programs build a strong sense of confidence and belonging.”
Preserving Florida’s Ranching Heritage
For multi-generational ranching families, the Farm represents more than just a school facility—it is a critical tool for preserving a threatened way of life. The cattle industry in Florida is under significant pressure, largely due to the conversion of agricultural working lands into residential developments. The Farm helps close the growing gap between food consumers and producers by educating the next generation on the value of modern ranching.
“I have two children in Sarasota County public schools, and I’m so excited about having this opportunity for Sarasota County students and look forward to my children participating in programs at the Farm,” says Jim Strickland, owner of Strickland Ranch and Lost Girl Prairie Ranch and a past president of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. “With the rapid growth of Florida and many new families not from agricultural backgrounds, the Farm opens a huge opportunity for students to see what we do and build their understanding of farming and ranching in Sarasota.”
This exposure fosters a deeper commitment to conservation and business acumen. Lisa Carlton, co-owner of Mabry Carlton Ranch, comes from the ninth generation of a Florida ranching family.
“What happens in the learning environment at the Farm is that it teaches students, outside of a classroom setting, about real-life things,” Carlton says. “Whether it’s an animal or a plant project, every student at the Farm is running a small business. They are learning what are really life skills that will follow the students wherever they go.” By managing profit and loss and understanding the importance of proper soil health and herd rotation in raising cattle, students gain practical knowledge that enables them to become future industry ambassadors and conscientious consumers.
The Hardest Lessons
The Farm’s enduring impact is measured not just in successful projects, certificates, and career trajectories, but in difficult, real-world lessons students encounter about complex food systems. Cross-curricular collaborations are now standard, with students from different disciplines working together—like when the plumbing class partnered with the agriculture class, using the ag students as “clients” to design an irrigation system that met their gardening modules’ specific water needs.
But perhaps the most profound moments happen in the animal barns. For many students who have never engaged directly with livestock, the animals offer an immediate connection that forces a reckoning with the modern food system.
Traugott describes the reaction of students who interact with the hogs and cattle: “They all go through this really big set of feelings, because they’ve just made a deep, emotional connection with this animal, they’re thinking about the high standard of living they expect it to have, and then they ask: ‘Wait, are we going to eat them?’ They realize that this is what food production looks like, and that yes, this is hard.”
“It’s those conversations that have been really powerful and impactful,” Traugott continues, “and so has getting our students to think about how their food comes to their plate and what that really means. The Farm elevates students’ awareness and inspires them to think more deeply about the food systems around it.”
By combining rigorous, standards-based instruction with the responsibility of caring for living things, the Farm ensures that Sarasota County students graduate with more than just a diploma—they leave with competence, confidence, and a conscience, ready to engage the world as informed citizens and discerning consumers.
