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Iowa Farm Bureau pledges $1 million for agriculture education
‘Our state depends on the next generation of youth to fill critical roles in agriculture,” Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson says
Mar. 7, 2023 6:00 am
The new Ag Building at Prairie High School features a large classroom, a conference room/tornado shelter and a greenhouse in southwest Cedar Rapids. The 6,400-square foot facility is located on a 155-acre farm site located just north of Prairie High School. A pedestrian tunnel was constructed under 76th Avenue SW for students and faculty to travel from the main campus to the new building. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Brent Johnson, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (submitted)
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is pledging $1 million to Iowa FFA, with a portion of the funds dedicated to its “All in for Ag Education” strategic initiative.
The “All in for Ag” campaign seeks to recruit, train and retain agriculture educators and create agriculture access for all Iowa high school students by 2029.
“Our state depends on the next generation of youth to fill critical roles in agriculture to maintain that status and provide solutions to a growing global population,” Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson said in a news release. “Without qualified agriculture educators to train and inform young people of future career opportunities in agriculture, we lose out as a state — and nation,”
There has been a decrease of 204 agriculture educators in Iowa since 2015 — nearly half which have happened within the last two years. Some have retired and others have left to pursue competitive teaching contracts in other states or other careers, according to the National Association of Agricultural Educators.
This limits agriculture education opportunities for the next generation of Iowa’s agriculturalists and threatens the state’s status as a leader in agriculture, according to Iowa Farm Bureau.
Supporting youth and education is a pillar of Iowa Farm Bureau’s mission, Johnson said. “Agriculture is the backbone of Iowa, and if current trends hold true, one in five Iowa students will have a career supported by agriculture,” he said. “We know agriculture education opportunities for high school youth can have a profound impact on their future, and we feel this support is mission critical to the future of Iowa agriculture.”
Iowa agriculture is a national leader in many areas of production including corn, pigs, eggs, ethanol and biofuel. In conservation, Iowa agriculture is a leader in water quality wetlands, bioreactors, grassed waterways, buffer strips, pollinator habitat and conservation tillage, Johnson said.
Iowa Farm Bureau has been one of Iowa FFA Foundation’s longest and most dedicated supporters, said Josh Remington, Iowa FFA Foundation executive director, in a news release.
The Iowa FFA Foundation focuses on encouraging youth to pursue careers and leadership roles in the agricultural industry. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership activities, scholarships, incentive awards, agricultural education programs and instructor workshops, according to its website.
“We are so grateful for this gift that will have a lasting and meaningful impact in communities across the state,” Remington said.
The support will help FFA tackle the state’s agriculture educator crisis “head-on and remove hurdles to attract and retain talent,” Remington said.
Donations to the Iowa FFA Foundation through February 2025 are eligible for a 50 percent match. To learn more about agriculture education opportunities in Iowa, visit IowaFFAFoundation.org
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
