R.

Blocher

Renae Blocher
EDCI 270

Course Theme
As an agriculture education major here at Purdue I am overwhelmed
with a plethora of themes ripe for the picking. For example there are political
themes such as climate change and global warming or even the issue of
environmental management and protection. On the animal side of
agriculture there is the burning issue of animal welfare and animal rights or
even the impending issue of the ever present diseases and biosecurity. Then
again on the crop side there is the ever present issue of feeding the hungry
mouths and the ever growing population to saving the rainforests and the
environment housed within them. For this course though I have chosen to
delve into the topic of production livestock animals. Production livestock is different than
simply studying farm animals because it is more specific to animals that are used for production
or in the case that I will be working on includes beef and dairy cattle, hogs, and chickens.
Growing up on the farm has become an essential part of who I am today and the
direction to which I am hoping to head in the future. By delving into the topic of production
animals I will be able to research and create projects around the experience that I have gained
over the last 20 years while still learning more than I have ever known about these animals. By
researching and jumping into this topic I am also hoping to create an even thicker bed of material
so that when I obtain a degree in Ag Education I will be able to begin sharing my knowledge

R. Blocher

with the students or take it to my own farm and be able to be successful in the paths that I
choose.