NETTLETON, Miss. (WTVA) - Under the hot August sun, some Nettleton students are picking purple hull peas.
It's not an after school job or them just helping around the house.
Instead, it's an effort between these Future Farmers of America members and the Land O'Lakes Foundation.
The company donates grant money to schools around the country to teach students about gardening.
Teacher Jesse Cornelius said, "Just about when school let out last year students helped prepare the ground. They plowed it and got it ready to plant. There's been learning about everything it takes to produce a crop."
In the process, the food that is grown here will be donated to the local Salvation Army and Nettleton Faith Food Pantry.
Cornelius said, "Here we've got purple hull peas. We've got a farmer in the community with corn growing that we'll be able to harvest also."
This is the second year for this program. Last year about 1,000 pounds of food was collected.
For the students, it's hard, hot work.
But it's also taken an interest in agriculture to the next level for some of them.
Senior Dillion Pittman said, "It gives you a chance to apply some of the things we learned in the classroom out here. We also get to get out and do physical work."
Senior Garrett Cook said, "From start to finish, we've learned it all."
While learning about gardening is a main goal, school leaders say the young people pick up something other than peas along the way.
They're learning what it means to help others.
Cornelius said, "Do your best but also help those that need help. I think the great thing about this program is to teach students to give back to their community and also they're learning something."
