Local farmer hopes to inspire younger generation
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In this week's Focusing on the Future, we're learning about students who are looking at non-traditional career opportunities. Over 12 acres of farmland that covers close to two counties belong to the Philadelphia School District.
And the farmer is working to inspire the younger generation.
Fernando Rodriguez worked in the district as a plumber and after servicing chase farms and endless hours of volunteering he found his passion.
He's now a farmer out of Northeast Philadelphia and his goal is to inspire young people.
"Where I come from, some people never left the neighborhood," Rodriguez said. "Sometimes we paint our kids into a box and there's real limited set of career paths."
Farm administrator Dr. Mandy Manna walked CBS3 through the farm's greenhouse.
"One of their main goals through their senior year is to dive into horticulture and not just look at planting but turning this into a business," Manna said.
We caught up with Isaiah Martinez, who's a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School.
"We've learned how to distinguish different types of soil," Martinez said. "I've always dreamed of architecture and learning how to do landscaping and manage it."
With more than 200 animals pot belly pigs, like Oliver, are special.
"We are exposing our students to animals they can find around the world. You look at the Philadelphia School District where we have 166 languages that are spoken," Manna said.