LATIMER, Iowa (AP) — Learning isn’t so baaad when you have an opportunity to work with goats.

At the campus of Coulter-Alexander-Latimer (CAL) Elementary School is a small animal farm, made up of goats and chickens, an occasional pig, and a vegetable and rain garden. Students at CAL have the chance to help take care of the animals and apply their experiences in a variety of ways.

“If we can take the idea of formulating feed rations, or amounts of feed, and bring it into our math classes, we use it,” said CAL Farm to Table Coordinator Jill Craighton. “We try to bring it in the classrooms as much as we can, because it’s just a good hands-on opportunity for them, it’s right in front of them. It’s something they can touch and see and do at the same time.”

CAL’s small farm is mainly taken care of by the 5th and 6th grade classes. The younger grades come out to see the animals, and learn from the older kids about animal care. Craighton says she lets the kids decide if they want to care for the animals, since some might be uncomfortable with it, or they already do farm chores at home and would rather not do chores at school.

6th graders Dylan Gulick and Avery Depuew say they enjoy teaching the younger kids how to handle the animals and give them tips.

Depuew said one piece of advice she has for the younger students is to approach the animals gently. “Be calm around the chickens and the goats and don’t chase after them,” said Depuew.

Craighton said the kids who choose to take care of the animals work in a rotation and do chores for a week. Craighton added the task is a responsibility the students have to be fully committed to. Daily chores for the students involve feeding, making sure the animals are healthy, and yes. scooping manure.

Depuew said working with the animals makes her day and something she takes pride in.

“It just makes your day going out there and petting them and doing hands-on work and getting to learn how to take care of them,” said Depuew.

One of Craighton’s main goals for the students is to develop animal husbandry skills.

“I really try to teach them animal husbandry — like `look at this goat and (see) what are some things that we’re going to look for to know that our goat is healthy every day when we come out here,”’ said Craighton.

The school was able to put the farm on their campus through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other funding sources. Steve Lane, the previous coordinator of the farm, and science teacher Jane Gorder were the ones who helped get CAL’s farm and garden space started according to Craighton.

“We knew we had the space for it and so they thought `let’s give it a try and see what we can do with it.”’ said Craighton.

CAL’s farm and garden spaces are in their third year, and the school continues to look for ways to expand. Students are a vital part in the farm’s growth, Craighton said.

Gulick said he would like to see the addition of a turkey to the farm, Depuew says she would like a rooster or ducks, and Craighton says any addition they add to the farm would have to come together with a thought-out plan from the students.

Craighton said she wants to be sure the kids are involved in the process of expanding the farm and gardens.

As of now, the farm has five goats and four hens. The goats were donated to the school and the chickens were purchased from a farmer in Hampton. Feed for the animals is paid for through sale of eggs and garden items.

Occasionally, CAL purchases a pig or two from a local farmer in the summer to care for it until November, when the pigs are sent to be processed by a butcher. After processing the animal, the meat comes back to CAL and used by the school cafeteria.

Craighton says they explain to the kids that these animals are the same ones they see on their plates when they eat dinner. “They took them to the butcher and then they processed them and then our cooks cooked them. We had barbequed pork,” said Gulick.

Depuew says she has grown as a person from taking care of the animals, especially the chickens. “When I came into the school, I really didn’t like farm animals. It’s like (I have) a whole new personality,” said Depuew.

Craighton said she and the school feel fortunate they have the opportunity to raise farm animals and a garden. She added the farm has taught students to be self-aware, responsible, and work together to be successful.

“We know this is a little school, but sometimes that’s the beauty of the little schools,” said Craighton. “We can do some of these things and have some of these opportunities and we feel very fortunate we are able to.”