I can't wait to get this semester started and show you what agriculture is all about! Agriculture is one of the most important industries out there, and I have the honor of teaching you why that is so. This year will encompass some difficulties and hardships, but along with it will come great experiences and the chance to find something you are passionate about.I look forward to getting to know you and for you to figure out what agriculture means to you! Being involved in Agriculture Education and the FFA was one of the best decisions I ever made and I hope you will come to realize that for yourself as well.
I plan to keep this website updated with your latest syllabi, course calendars, assignments, presentations, projects and more.
Agricultural education is delivered through three interconnected components:
- Classroom or laboratory instruction.
- Experiential learning — Learning experiences that usually take place outside of the classroom, supervised by the agriculture instructor.
- Leadership education — delivered through student organizations such as the National FFA Organization, the National Young Farmer Education Association, National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization and others.
What is Agricultural Education?
Agricultural education is a systematic program of instruction available to students desiring to learn about the science, business, technology of plant and animal production and/or about the environmental and natural resources systems. Agricultural education first became a part of the public education system in 1917 when the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Hughes Act. Today, over 800,000 students participate in formal agricultural education instructional programs offered in grades seven-adult throughout the 50 states and three U. S. territories.
Agricultural Education is composed of three distinct, yet interrelated components. A basic component is classroom and laboratory experiences.
In the classroom, students learn concepts and theories dealing with a broad spectrum of agricultural and agribusiness topics. The classroom is followed by the laboratory mode of instruction where concepts and theories are carried through to their application. Here, the students are taught “hands-on" skills that ensure that the skills learned are practical and usable.
Both classroom and laboratory instruction are put to use in the Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAEP) component of the program. In this approach, students work and learn in a real-life situation where they obtain on-the-job skills. SAEP can vary from the traditional home projects to entrepreneurship or cooperative work experience in production or agribusiness.
The third component, FFA, provides an avenue for developing leadership skills. As an integral, intracurricular component of the agricultural education program, FFA has numerous systems to deliver instruction in leadership. In addition, FFA provides incentives for improved student performance through its awards program.