There’s a different world behind the school a place where many students consider their second home, the FFA farm. FFA is the Future Farmers of America Organization available on campus and is the largest of it’s kind among the Austin Independent School District. The animals come from various places all over Texas and some even from Oklahoma. “When the animals arrive they are all small and young,” agriculture teacher Brad Pierce said. “The students take them immediately once I place them on the farm and then it is all in their hands.” There is always a surplus of new animals because different species are brought in different seasons. The most recent additions have been the pigs which came in October and the just recent arrival of turkeys. This year there was a significant increase in turkeys, with a total of 275. The project is aimed at freshmen in principle agriculture so they can become familiarized with the process of care taking. “This introduces them to the farm and they are able to see larger animal projects and can decide if they want to get involved in such a deal,” Pierce said. “Freshmen are usually where we start and then they build up to where they want to be as seniors.” According to Pierce, FFA is much more than simply taking care of an animal. It is an environment where life skills are taught that will benefit students years after they’ve worn their cap and gown. “The ultimate goal of this project is to build character, to build responsibility, to build work ethics, and to build teamwork,” Pierce said. “Because when you get out of high school, you’re going to have to know these skills and those are the things we want to instill in our kids.” Senior Kaila Carrillo who has been a part of the organization for all four of her high school years can relate to the growth she has experienced over the past few years. “When I joined FFA, I didn’t know what it was about at first,” said Carrillo. “Once I started getting more involved I realized this was a huge industry to be in and you gain a lot of experience from showing animals and raising them yourself.” Carrillo had always taken care of goats, and parting with them at the end of the journey had always been bittersweet, but this year she decided to switch it up. “This is my first year having a pig, and it’s quite different,” Carrillo said. “I had to get totally new supplies and basically start from ground zero. It was funny because I had to feed my pig marshmallows and candy corn in order for it to like me.” A big part of Carrillo’s life outside of school is presenting her animals in shows, where they are judged on their form and fitness. “Pigs show much differently than goats at the shows,” Carrillo said. “Goats are much active which is what I am used to, but with pigs you have to guide them with a whip and it’s a completely different process.” Senior Julia Buerkle is a close friend of Carrillo who has also been part of the organization for all four years. “I got my pig through my agriculture teacher. He goes to auctions and breeding farms to purchase pigs, the same goes for my turkeys,” Buerkle said. But she had gone through a different process to acquire her rabbits. “My dad has been breeding the ones I showed sophomore year as well as my siblings,” Buerkle said. According to Carrillo getting her new animals every year is just as exciting as the previous years. “Getting my animals feels like getting a present for Christmas. It’s my passion and I know I’m going to get so much out of caring for these animals” Carrillo said.