A few weeks ago, ten Russian ambassadors came to the agriculture section of McNeil to observe and learn a few things about how things work here in Texas.

“They came to the McNeil Farm Facility to look at sustainable agriculture in an urban environment,” agricultural science teacher Larry Vinklarek said. “They were amazed at our Veterinary Technology facility, and that we were already teaching things like that at a high school level.”

The Russians also came to observe how the program housed the farm animals and dealt with the waste they produced. They made sure to look at other schools around Texas, as well as around the entire nation, but were particularly impressed with the various programs at McNeil.

“They were looking a possible programs that they could start back in Russia. Of course, when it comes to certain programs we host here in Texas, there’s some limiting factors that keep them from starting it back at home,” Vinklarek said. “Weather, a constant water source, available land, and some other things all play a part in having these things run smoothly and successfully.

The group of ambassadors ranged from college level students, to men and women in their late 40’s, all of them wanting to see the possibilities available to Russia for starting a similar program. The group not only visited other high schools, but made sure to look at colleges like A&M, and other establishments including vineyards and tree farms.
“We made sure to show them our new facility, how we raise our livestock, the big barn, and the school farm,” Vinklarek said. “Fortunately, they were all very impressed with how advanced we our with our ways of teaching when it comes to agriculture science.”