Agriculture Education | Teaching More Than Farming

Did you know that Missouri youth involved in agriculture education courses directly contribute to the state's economy? In 2021 alone, Missouri FFA students generated over $58 million dollars of income through their supervised agriculture experience and work-based programs. And, those work experiences are not just farming-based, they are in business, tourism, science, and even marketing. In this episode, Keith Dietzschold outlines the incredible opportunities that ag education programs bring to our high school students and the importance of agriculture literacy in today's world. Tune in to learn more about the state's agriculture education program and the life lessons Missouri FFA instills in thousands of young agriculturalists every year.  What you'll learn:  Keith's background and how he got to where he is today with the Missouri Department of Education The primary focus of Keith's department of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Details and misconceptions behind the Missouri FFA education program and how Keith is striving to educate Missourians about all the other pieces of agriculture outside of farming The other organizations involved in ag education in the state of Missouri, from junior high students to young adults Where to find more information about Missouri Ag Education and key takeaways from the 2022 Annual Report The role the State of Missouri Ag Education has at the Missouri State Fair The types of life lessons youth learn while involved in FFA programs, primarily agriculture literacy and comprehension What media and strategies Missouri Ag Education programs are using to tell their story and to reach students and adults