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It’s safe to say Tennessee Ag in the Classroom is succeeding thanks to so many supporters, donors and volunteers across the state. Recently, Tennessee’s Ag in the Classroom Advisory Council met to discuss the program.
Amy Beckham: Ag in the Classroom Succeeding. Hello there and welcome to Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Amy Beckham.
Caley Peyton: We’re here to promote Ag in the Classroom and make sure the program is on board and it’s succeeding here in the state of Tennessee.
Amy Beckham: Well, it’s safe to say the program is no doubt doing just that, thanks to so many supporters, donors and volunteers across the state. And recently Tennessee’s Ag in the Classroom Advisory Council met to discuss the program. Among those who attended was Caley Peyton, education and outreach coordinator for the Tennessee Forestry Association. She shares more.
Caley Peyton: We want to make sure that every child however old – K through 12, knows that ag is a big part of our state and that our food comes from the things we do in agriculture. So, we want to make sure that’s pretty prevalent here in the state.
Amy Beckham: Peyton says Ag in the Classroom in Tennessee had a lot of successes this past year, and she also goes on to add some insight into a few beneficial resources Ag in the Classroom offers.
Caley Peyton: Some of the really cool things that’s going on are they have some grants that are available to teachers, awarding teachers for the work they do in and out of the classroom for ag. And making sure that they provide as many free resources and help to teachers and students to help get agriculture “ag” back in the classroom.
Amy Beckham: Another strong supporter of the program who attended the advisory council meeting is the dean of the college of agricultural sciences at UT Martin, Dr. Todd Winters. Why he feels strongly about the program.
Dr. Todd Winters: We’re in the business of feeding, fueling and providing the fiber for the world. And the more we can expose these young people to that, which is very important to society, we can’t do enough. Being a part of the agricultural community – UT Martin needs to be here. Even though Ag in the Classroom is a K through 12, those are the students that will be eventually be majors in our college, so we think it’s very, very important, and we try to support the program as much as we can.
Amy Beckham: To learn more about how to support the program, visit tnfarmbureau.org and find Ag in the Classroom in the top navigation bar. For Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Amy Beckham.
