Teacher Shortages Still Challenge Ag Education & FFA - Plus Lady Grillers Get Support

It's the gift that will keep giving!  Fox Valley Technical College just received a generous donation of land that they're already putting to work for students.  Kiley Allan gets the story from Paul Groell, Department Chair Natural Resources Program @ Fox Valley Technical College.  Fox Valley Technical College received an anonymous donation of a 160-acre plot of land, intended to preserve the habitat from development and serve as an educational tool for the school's two-year Natural Resources program. The property acts as a powerhouse of biodiversity, containing mixed forested areas, prairies, ponds, wetlands, and a navigable stream. This variety allows students to study forestry, soils, water and wildlife all in one location. Students are already utilizing the land as a safe place for practical coursework including chainsaw safety, tree limbing, trail maintenance, and wildlife data collection using camera traps. The program prepares students for versatile technician or wildland firefighting roles, and benefits from close partnerships with four-year institutions to offer an easy transfer path for students looking to continue their education after their associate degree. From hail to measurable rain - that's what Wisconsin saw on Tuesday.  There could be more of the same today!  Stu Muck shares the outlook on showers and thunderstorms that have already started moving into the state. Yes, Wisconsin FFA continues to grow, but finding teachers to execute the lesson plans connected to those chapters is tough.  Pam Jahnke visits with Cheryl Zimmerman, executive director of the Wisconsin FFA Association, about current worries going into the next school year.  She says they're already aware of 10 teacher retirements that will need to be filled.  While Zimmerman acknowledges that tools like experience based licensing have added some staff to schools, it doesn't negate the huge need for agriculture educators.  She says they currently have about 28,000 members statewide with 6 newly chartered chapters.  Zimmerman also says they're considering opening options to students as young as 5th grade to keep the pipeline full of potential members. From t-shirt designs to empowering women at the grill - the Wisconsin Beef Council is busy.  Kaitlyn Kessler, Communications Director for the WI Beef Council takes a minute to recap some of the action so far this spring.  She explains how they enlisted top chefs to educate several female influencers about the finer points of using the grill.  Well the event was well received, however, she said they also learned that finding the right cuts of meat for the grill was a bit of a challenge for some of the women.  Fortunately, the chefs on hand and the resources at beeftips.com helped steer them in the right direction.  Paid for by Equity Cooperative Livestock Sales Association.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.