Agriculture Education

Hello! My name is Mr. Jeff Edwards and I am the High School & Middle School Agriculture Teacher.   I also serve as the FFA Advisor for the Ballard FFA Chapter & am the sponsor for the Ballard LiveStream Network.   

I am originally from the Ames area, and graduated from Gilbert High School.  I received my AAS Agribusiness Degree from  DMACC, and received my BS in Agriculture Education from Iowa State University.  I taught at Maquoketa Valley High School for 2 years before making the switch to Ballard in 2021.  

The Ballard Agricultural Education Program currently offers courses such as Animal Science & Advanced Animal Science, Agronomy & Soils, Agricultural Communications, Natural Resources, Horticulture, Introduction to Agriscience & AFNR as well as Agricultural Business.  These courses currently utilize CASE (Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education).  Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education courses are developed using elements from pedagogical approaches that are recognized in educational literature as proven and effective modes of teaching and learning. This foundation ensures validity for CASE methodology and provides the recipe for the effectiveness of the CASE model. The CASE model is a careful blend of time-tested instructional strategies used to guide students in their studies to meet the demands of post-secondary education and careers in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) industries.

The Ballard Agricultural Education Program is focusing on providing great opportunities, lessons & experiences for all of its students both inside the classroom and outside.  If you are interested in learning more about the Agricultural Education Program, please reach out to Mr. Edwards via email or phone!