Peggy Heller school students among winners of national Purple Plow Challenge

Two student teams at Peggy Heller Elementary School are among the winners of a national challenge hosted by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

According to science elective teacher Marlene Larios, the teams competed in the foundation’s fall 2019 Purple Plow Challenge, Growing Green.

Seven of her students, in two teams, created prototypes utilizing green energy to reduce the use and effect of fossil fuels in agriculture, according to Larios.

Larios said she came across the challenge while looking online for Science Technology Engineering and Math, or STEM, activities in agriculture.

The challenge required to students to use a renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions, Larios said.

Eighth grader Anna Brasil said she was very excited when she and her two teammates, Emma Aguilar and Danay Perez Rodriguez, learned that they had been chosen as one of the winning teams.

The team worked to design a prototype innovation of cow farming. The prototype consist of a solar-powered farm house, milk truck and milk barn, according to Brasil and Aguilar.

“We’re an all girl team,” said one of Brasil’s teammates, Emma Aguilar.

“It’s very inspiring to see all girls engineering for Ag and actually winning,” Aguilar said.

Eighth grader Andrew Azevedo worked with teammates Evan Goucher, Madison Fears and Sophia Ayala to create their prototype of a solar powered milk barn. According to Azevedo, the prototype has two solar panels, which power a light, fan and pump.

“It was a team effort to make it and it really brought our classroom and our peers together,” said Azevedo.

Each winning team received a $100 gift card and the class received a 3D printer, accordingn to Larios.

“It’s different everyday and the kids just amaze me,” said Larios of the experience of leading the students through the challenge.

“They’re very creative and honestly, I feel really proud to be guiding them. Its all them,” said Larios.