Nature is her classroom

Deb Conway doesn’t teach classes at Butte College, but she helps educate students about wildlife restoration and operating heavy machinery. The farm technician uses a herd of goats to rid areas of weeds and blackberries to encourage native plant growth. She has plenty of room to work on the 928-acre campus, nearly two-thirds of which is occupied by farmland and a wildlife refuge. Conway chatted while she surveyed the wildlife refuge in a green off-road cart.

How did you initially get interested in agriculture?

It might sound silly, but I loved Little House on the Prairie. I visited my friend’s grandparents’ farm and thought, “Wow, this is really neat.”

Are those names on the goats’ ear-tags?

Yes, they’re named after different instructors. Doug is the friendliest; he’s the one that’s always in the pictures [people take there]. One time we even took him up to the president’s office to take a picture. That one is Diana, after the new president [Diana Van Der Ploeg, Butte College’s superintendent/president]. I donated her. I have goats at my house. I don’t think she even knows I named a goat after her, but I don’t think she’d be offended. We only name goats after good people.

What is your favorite thing to teach?

I like working on native plant restoration projects, but I’ll tell you, students in the heavy equipment program do more good than anyone. They could do a lot of damage if they weren’t managed properly [laughs].

What happens to the crops you grow?

We sell them and all the profits go back into the program. We have a fresh-to-your-desk motto. People on campus order fruit via e-mail and we deliver.

Sounds like you’re busy with a lot of different projects. What’s your biggest goal for the area?

The biggest thing I want to do is get people out to the wildlife refuge. A lot of people are afraid of mountain lions on campus. Last year during finals week one was spotted out here. I don’t think there’s much to worry about.

What do you like best about your job?

I would have to say working with students who are eager to learn. A lot of the students I work with are just out of high school. It helps keep me thinking young.