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How their garden grows
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Posted by icastillo Wed Nov 30, -0001 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments By Luz Peña
MÁS staff

When Joshua Rico,17, was handed a shovel and a bag of seeds in his ROC Business Enterprises class, he began to scratch his head.
     The Ridgeview High School student couldn’t quite make the connection. He had signed up for the ROC (Regional Occupational Center) class offered through the Kern High School District to learn the ABCs of starting a small business. Plus, for Rico, this was the first time he had ever set foot in a garden.
“Honestly, I thought in my head, ‘What does this have to do with business?’” he said with a laugh. “It didn’t make sense until my teacher, Ms. V. (Villalobos), explained to me what we were doing it for.”
As part of the class, students are required to plant their own plants and vegetables in a gardening area or in the shade house behind the classroom. Later, they’ll sell them for profit.
ROC teacher Anna Villalobos said it’s very common for her students to be first-time gardeners.
To introduce morning and afternoon classes to soil and seeds, she takes them to the garden to have each student plant a vegetable or plant as their “My Spot” garden.
Due to Bakersfield’s climate, the majority of plants are succulents.
“For many, this is the first time they played in the dirt or planted anything,” said Villalobos. “This garden represents them. Once the vegetables are grown, we’ll cut them up and eat them in a salad.”
Rico, like the other 31 students who are taking the class, has big plans for the future. One day, he would like to expand a clothing line he created with friends called “Evolve.”
“I would like to sell clothes one day,” said Rico, who started a line with friends when he lived in Porterville. “It’s made up of T-shirts and hats for teenage/young adult boys and girls.”
The ROC campus is located on the same lot as the Bakersfield Adult School on Mount Vernon Avenue. Students, either juniors or seniors in high school, are able to sign up for ROC. They’re either bused in or drive to their class.
ROC Business Enterprise was modeled after the Virtual Enterprise learning program. Villalobos said she decided to take the class to the next level by making everything as real as possible. If students stay in the class for the whole year, they’ll earn 10 units for science and five units for economics for high school graduation credits.
“There’s only so much you can do online or in text books. You need the hands-on training,” said Villalobos. “Some of the brightest ideas come from my students.”
Once the product is grown, they need to market it and sell it.
As part of their marketing efforts, the students entered their succulents in this year’s Kern County Fair. Many of their plants were either first-place winners or in the top three of competition.
Inside the classroom, students sit two to a table and take notes about the principles of business. However, it’s not all about taking notes. They have discussions on ideas and strategies to promote their business and develop products. Like true business partners, the class will debate and vote to decide what product(s) they should sell. This year, poinsettias were the lucky winner.
With savvy marketing, the students sold 600 poinsettias.
“It’s not just about selling poinsettias. You have to be real and tell your customers why they should buy your product,” said Sara Gildez, 17, a senior at Eternity Preparatory High School. “Your product has to be a good thing and of good quality for it to sell.”

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