Page 5 - Impact Fall 2023

employment within the profession. For those who didn’t, the primary reason was geographic limitations.
Soaring classroom demand
For Ag Ed students destined for a middle or high school classroom, there is no shortage of opportunities. According to the National Association of Agricultural Educators, there are currently not enough agriculture teachers in the U.S. to meet the growing demand.
“In many cases, demand is coming from school districts wanting to expand existing ag ed programs or start new ones,” said Smith. “At the same time, due to teacher shortages in other areas of career and technical education, some schools are leveraging the versatility of an ag ed curriculum to address topics often included in family and consumer science education or technology education.”
This growth is evident at Mankato Area Public Schools. After more than 30 years without an ag ed program, the district started its current program in 2019. It grew from one introductory course with about 40 students to nine diverse courses with over 400 students today. Robin Tidd joined the district as an agriculture, food and natural resource teacher in 2021 after graduating from CFANS.
“One reason the program came back here was because of community support,” said Tidd. “They
saw how many jobs we have in Mankato that relate
to agriculture, and we weren't training high school students in that area. Now we’re introducing hundreds of students each year to agriculture education and all of the possibilities within it.”
The demand for Ag Ed teachers extends to urban areas, where CFANS alumni like Harley Braun, ’20, are challenging dated perceptions. Braun
grew up in a small Minnesota town, but after studying ag ed with a
minor in racial justice in urban
schooling, she was inspired to teach agricultural education at Highland
Park High School in St. Paul. “No matter where you live, students
are concerned about the environment, climate change, and the food we eat,” said Braun. “Young people care about the world and want to make it a better place, and agriculture gives them a way to do that.”
STUDENT TEACHER MONICA PINKERMAN, '24, IN THE MANKATO WEST HIGH SCHOOL WOOD SHOP.
A place for everyone in agriculture
It’s a conundrum that Smith has faced throughout her academic career: agricultural education is everywhere, but do people see themselves in it?
“There is a broad array of subjects that fall under the agriculture umbrella, such as biotechnology, environmental services, and food products and processing, just to name a few,” she said. “Many people don’t realize that the subjects they are passionate about teaching are actually agriculture, just called something else.”
The Ag Ed program at CFANS continues to evolve to meet that challenge, most recently with the addition of a minor and a new
master’s degree. As the
program has expanded,
one thing has stayed the
same: a personalized
approach to supporting
students.
“We’re a smaller major but that’s part of what makes it so great, because we’re tight knit,” said sophomore Noah Erickson, who grew up on a Minnesota farm. He’s not yet sure of his career aspirations, but he’s confident the CFANS program will prepare him for what’s next.
CFANS STUDENT NOAH ERICKSON AT WORK.
“There’s a place for
everyone in agriculture,” he said. “I know that the versatility of this major will help set me up for success.”