The Ag & Outdoor Occupations Program is one of our newest programs at Lima Senior. Students in this program have a unique opportunity to utilize standard classroom resources as well as a 30-acre land lab, which we received from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitations, and additional offsite locations across Lima and Allen County.  

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Students will be active in FFA, which is the largest student organization in America with nearly 800,000 students nationwide. FFA offers student career development events in many unique fields as well as encourages students to create real business plans and can lead to opportunities to make real money.  Exclusively to this program, seniors will have the opportunity to earn their Class A CDL.

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This course is designed to prepare students for possible employment in many of the Agricultural and Outdoor career fields across our community and can also prepare students for a college ready route with a focus on science, technology and environmental management.

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First-year students begin their studies outside learning heavy equipment and power equipment use and management on the Spartan Farm. In addition to the heavy equipment, students begin to learn skills relating to natural resources and landscape management. Students are active outside managing resources across our city parks during the fall, winter and spring months as the need arises. We will also spend time learning general equipment maintenance skills to prepare students for any Ag and Outdoor Occupation job opportunity.

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At the end of their first year, Ag & Outdoor Occupations Students will be prepared and skilled in using:

• Skid loaders

• Excavators

• Backhoes

• Tractors

• Chainsaws

• String Trimmers

• Pruners & Hedge Trimmers

• Mowers

• Outdoor Power Equipment

• Electrical Systems

• Plumbing Systems

• Hydraulic Systems and Fittings

• Landscaping supplies

• Mulch & Fertilizers for Landscapes

• GPS & Surveying Equipment

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Second-year students take their experiences from the first year and have the opportunity to dive deeper into more specific areas of interest. Students continue to learn heavy equipment and outdoor power equipment management but focus on areas that they are looking to pursue after high school. Second-year students will help plan and manage landscaping projects across the school district in cooperation with Central Services as well as the Spartan Farm.  

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Business management and cost estimation will be discussed as students begin to utilize their skills to prepare their own Ag entrepreneurship opportunities as part of FFA.  Students in Ag & Outdoor Occupations will have the exclusive opportunity to study and work towards earning their Class A CDL. New forms of robotic equipment and technology relevant in the Ag and Manufacturing industries across the Greater Lima Region will be explored over this two-year course. Graduating seniors will have the largest industry in Allen County to look towards for their future.