Samantha Aarup, an AAEC-EM FFA member, teaches students about the anatomy of a chicken for her agricultural education Supervised Agricultural Experience.
The National FFA Organization defines agricultural education as “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.” Students who participate in agricultural education programs, such as FFA, learn sustainable, adaptable skills in all aspects of life.
Agricultural education is a tool to inform young students and the next generation about the importance of agriculture. As they learn life skills, they also learn about the industry and how important processes occur. For example, growing plants and raising livestock are vital aspects of agriculture that help consumers get what they need.
Additionally, agricultural education helps reduce misinformation and common misconceptions. If not corrected or told otherwise, youth may believe incorrect things about agriculture. For example, a study by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy revealed that 7% of Americans believed chocolate milk came from brown cows. Another study by Zanussi revealed that nearly one-third of children didn’t know pork came from pigs.
Many classes in agricultural education programs help students gain a better understanding of the industry. Animal science, horticulture, agriscience and agribusiness are some of the many classes that help students become more knowledgeable about agriculture.
Although not all schools and grade levels have agricultural education programs, there are still ways to incorporate agriculture into the classroom. For example, the Arizona Farm Bureau manages the Agriculture in the Classroom program. Through fun and engaging lessons, this program brings agriculture to kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms. FFA members and chapters can volunteer to attend local schools and teach lessons from the Agriculture in the Classroom program.
Emily Guenther, an AAEC-EM FFA member, reads a story during an Agriculture in the Classroom lesson.
Agriculture is the backbone of society and one of the most important industries, impacting millions of people every day. Students and consumers need to be aware of the impact agriculture has on them and common misconceptions. Agricultural education is a key solution to addressing these problems.
