Agriculture Education Critical to Future of Industry

Last week saw the celebration of National Teach Ag Day, which is focused on the importance of agriculture education to the future of ag industry and the nation

JD Baser with WSU Ag Education program said ag educators are often a jack of many trades.

“The goal with ag education is that we need to train young people at our universities that are able to teach a wide variance of subject matter. Any of the agriculture teachers that come out, they will be not only teaching agriculture but their classes will be cross credited with science and sometimes even with art.”

And that’s the biggest difference Baser has seen from when he was in FFA as a teenager, to what they are teaching now all the other aspects beyond seed and soil that are being taught.

But these teachers also have a major impact on the lives of the kids they are involved Baser said.

“The time that agriculture teachers spend with those students in the classroom but also in the FFA, they kind of become a second parent and they can help support that student as another family member and moreso mentor to help them grow and be successful down the road.”

National Teach Ag Day celebrated its eighth year in 2017.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail krounce@cherrycreekradio.com.