First-ever National Teach Ag Day celebrated across nation
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 03/11/2010 9:09 AM
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ST. PAUL — Bearing signs that read "I heart agriculture teachers" and buttons that read "I've lived the FFA experience," Minnesotans rallied for agricultural education on National Teach Ag Day, Feb. 25.
National Teach Ag Day grew out of former Minnesota agricultural education teacher Ellen Thompson's passion for teaching agricultural education and advising FFA.
Thompson e-mailed her idea to leaders of the National Association of Agricultural Educators in December 2008. They loved the idea and encouraged their members to pursue it.
When Thompson left her teaching job at Sauk Centre to follow her husband to Brookings, S.D., where he was working, she was asked to run the National Teach Ag campaign.
States marked the event in different ways. In Wisconsin, high school students have been challenged to rack up 10,000 hours of teaching elementary students about agriculture.
At South Dakota State University in Brookings, an open house reception was held to celebrate agricultural education.
In Iowa, individual teachers did things within their own school district or program, said Matt Eddy, agricultural education teacher and FFA adviser at Southeast Polk High School.
Minnesotans celebrated National Teach Ag Day with a rally in the state Capitol rotunda. More than 250 turned out, said Julie Tesch, executive director of Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council.
"It was wonderful, the amount of support was great," Tesch said.
The event drew attention to the profession of teaching agriculture, be it at the high school level, through farm business management, agriculture in the classroom or a person's everyday life.
Speakers included Minnesota FFA president Kirby Schmidt, Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau, agriculture commissioner Gene Hugoson, Department of Education assistant commissioner Karen Klinzing, president of the University of Minnesota Ag Ed Club Dan Helvig, Thompson and legislators. Legislators who spoke include Sen. Jim Vickerman, DFL-Tracy, Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, Sen. Steve Dille, R-Dassel, Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL-Long Prairie, Rep. Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield, and Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha.
"It was a wonderful day, it could not have gone better," Tesch said.
Thompson agreed.
"It was really just well done," she said. "It was top drawer. It was professional and so positive. I really felt it was a celebration of ag education."
National Teach Ag Day is about celebrating the contributions agricultural education teachers make to school districts and their communities and the second component is raising awareness that there is demand for agricultural education teachers at all levels, Thompson said.
A grant from Campbell Soup Company and Landmark Nurseries funded the project and her position, she said.
Rep. Travis Childers, R-Miss., introduced a resolution supporting the goals and purposes of National Teach Ag Day and it was read on the floor of the House Feb. 25.