PSO hands out more than $16,000 in grants to FFA chapters

 

Public Service Company of Oklahoma is sharing some of its wealth in the form of thousands of dollars in grants to Future Farmers of America chapters in the state.

All are STEM or Science, Technology, engineering and Math After-school grants totaling more than $16,000.

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power issued a $2,500 grant to the Durant FFA chapter to help purchase a high hatch incubator, incubator racks for chicken, quail and pheasant. The chapter is starting an egg hatching and growing operation.

The Tipton and Snyder FFA chapters will get a $2,500 grant to allow experiments of new sustainable techniques for growing food in a controlled environment. The chapters will purchase four tower gardens and study how they can increase yields while using much less water.

A $2,500 grant is going to animal science students in Rush Springs and Chickasha. The FFA chapters will use the funds to fully equip and operate a chicken production facility. The two chapters will share the operation and donate all the chickens to area food pantries.

A $5,000 grant was made to FFA students in Kiefer and Sand Springs to collect and analyze data to improve the quality of crops and to help raise premier livestock.

A $3,600 grant was made to FFA students in Sperry and Webster to study the use of drones in learning about precision agriculture. The grant will provide the funding for the Flying for Agriculture program curriculum.