Successes in the History of Agricultural Education
These challenges presented earlier in this website are clearly numerous in quantity and can be difficult to defeat. However, agricultural education programs that overcome these great obstacles are often times very successful. Agricultural education programs that are successfully established are able to provide students with a contextual learning experience which challenges students to ignite their potential in any industry. Agricultural education courses have many successes which include, but are not limited to, providing social success, providing economic stability, providing applicable curriculum content, and providing an introduction to the National FFA Organization.
Agricultural education courses allow for students to improve their own social lives and the lives of others. These hands-on, practical courses allow for members to gain a value of service. Examples of service done in a common agriculture course include, but are not limited to, landscaping “run-down” areas in a community, hosting a food drive for those in need, and hosting events that recognize particular workers in schools who are not recognized as much as they should be, such as janitors and teachers. Agricultural education students can also improve their own social lives by connecting with students from other schools at field days and experiences at universities or agriculture businesses. Agricultural education programs truly impact the lives of both the individual student, and the community at large through participation in these service-based activities.
Additionally, agricultural education courses improve the overall economy of America. Agriculture is the leading industry of America, currently employing over twenty-two million hard-working agriculturalists in over two hundred career areas. Therefore, educating students about the importance of agriculture while they are in high school or junior high school can allow them to be introduced to one of these multiple agriculture careers, and hopefully, allow for them to gain enough interest to pursue one. (See this video to learn more about these careers!)
With a population that is exponentially growing, it is vital that our nation has enough workers in the agriculture industry, otherwise the economy may begin to regress over time. Thomas Robert Malthus discovered that as population increases exponentially, production only increases arithmetically (linearly). His findings prove the need for workers in the agriculture industry. If there are not enough agricultural workers, and the population continues to exponentially grow, products will become more scarce. The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Vilsack, stated in an interview "the economy of the country, the ability of farm families to survive, the capacity of this country to have a national security advantage because of our productivity, our less reliance on foreign oil and greater reliance on our own resources to produce energy, the capacity for us to have safe food and healthy people, and the ability to have a safe nation and a safe world — all tie to agriculture" ("U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Highlights Importance of Agricultural Education and Research", Paragraph 3). Agriculture is in the food, the clothes, and the homes all people own, and all other industries emerge from the agriculture industry, therefore, there is good reason to teach agriculture to as many high school and junior high school students as possible.
In addition, in several agriculture courses, students are able to be educated on specific areas of agricultural economics. For example, in a companion animal science or pet ownership course, students would be able to learn about the economics of owning and caring for a pet. On the other hand, in a floriculture or floral design course, students can price arrangements by calculating the prices for the materials used and labor invested into the production. Students, therefore, can become educated about the economy regardless of the agriculture course’s curriculum layout.
Agricultural education courses also allow for students to engage and interact with applicable curriculum tailored to their main interests and career areas. Agriculture curriculum is written in a way that allows for hands-on and unique learning experiences. For example, instead of reading an article about the supply and demand of corn, students can engage in an interactive simulation that requires critical thinking and strategizing.
Finally, agricultural education courses provide an official introduction to the National FFA Organization and allow for students to gain leadership skills. In order to become an official FFA member, it is necessary that the member is enrolled in a minimum of one agriculture course during the school year. Within that agriculture course, teachers are encouraged to educate their students about the events that their local FFA chapter has planned and to describe to their students the great honor and privilege it is to wear the official “FFA Blue Jacket.” While wearing this jacket, students are able to develop “premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.” FFA can be considered one of the most significant successes of agricultural education in America because it has been growing so much, and so many students have had unforgettable experiences during their time in the blue jacket.
Agricultural education courses allow for students to improve their own social lives and the lives of others. These hands-on, practical courses allow for members to gain a value of service. Examples of service done in a common agriculture course include, but are not limited to, landscaping “run-down” areas in a community, hosting a food drive for those in need, and hosting events that recognize particular workers in schools who are not recognized as much as they should be, such as janitors and teachers. Agricultural education students can also improve their own social lives by connecting with students from other schools at field days and experiences at universities or agriculture businesses. Agricultural education programs truly impact the lives of both the individual student, and the community at large through participation in these service-based activities.
Additionally, agricultural education courses improve the overall economy of America. Agriculture is the leading industry of America, currently employing over twenty-two million hard-working agriculturalists in over two hundred career areas. Therefore, educating students about the importance of agriculture while they are in high school or junior high school can allow them to be introduced to one of these multiple agriculture careers, and hopefully, allow for them to gain enough interest to pursue one. (See this video to learn more about these careers!)
With a population that is exponentially growing, it is vital that our nation has enough workers in the agriculture industry, otherwise the economy may begin to regress over time. Thomas Robert Malthus discovered that as population increases exponentially, production only increases arithmetically (linearly). His findings prove the need for workers in the agriculture industry. If there are not enough agricultural workers, and the population continues to exponentially grow, products will become more scarce. The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Vilsack, stated in an interview "the economy of the country, the ability of farm families to survive, the capacity of this country to have a national security advantage because of our productivity, our less reliance on foreign oil and greater reliance on our own resources to produce energy, the capacity for us to have safe food and healthy people, and the ability to have a safe nation and a safe world — all tie to agriculture" ("U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Highlights Importance of Agricultural Education and Research", Paragraph 3). Agriculture is in the food, the clothes, and the homes all people own, and all other industries emerge from the agriculture industry, therefore, there is good reason to teach agriculture to as many high school and junior high school students as possible.
In addition, in several agriculture courses, students are able to be educated on specific areas of agricultural economics. For example, in a companion animal science or pet ownership course, students would be able to learn about the economics of owning and caring for a pet. On the other hand, in a floriculture or floral design course, students can price arrangements by calculating the prices for the materials used and labor invested into the production. Students, therefore, can become educated about the economy regardless of the agriculture course’s curriculum layout.
Agricultural education courses also allow for students to engage and interact with applicable curriculum tailored to their main interests and career areas. Agriculture curriculum is written in a way that allows for hands-on and unique learning experiences. For example, instead of reading an article about the supply and demand of corn, students can engage in an interactive simulation that requires critical thinking and strategizing.
Finally, agricultural education courses provide an official introduction to the National FFA Organization and allow for students to gain leadership skills. In order to become an official FFA member, it is necessary that the member is enrolled in a minimum of one agriculture course during the school year. Within that agriculture course, teachers are encouraged to educate their students about the events that their local FFA chapter has planned and to describe to their students the great honor and privilege it is to wear the official “FFA Blue Jacket.” While wearing this jacket, students are able to develop “premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.” FFA can be considered one of the most significant successes of agricultural education in America because it has been growing so much, and so many students have had unforgettable experiences during their time in the blue jacket.