Agriculture surrounds everyone in our daily lives, what would we do without it? Sadly, a lot of people are unfamiliar with the beauty of agriculture, but there are others who hold a love for agriculture. An agriculture teacher, Kelly Larson, who has been teaching for 20 years, states her reasoning for teaching agriculture. 

“I have always been passionate about agriculture and the need to educate others as to why agriculture is important,” Larson said. She then said, “ Ag is life is a very true statement. Without agriculture we would not have food, clothing, or shelter…all of which are vital for life.”

Larson stated her dislikes about agriculture,”I dislike the fact that Ag Illiteracy is a very true concept in our society. There are so many people who do not realize the true importance of agriculture and therefore do not understand the daily fight agriculture faces.” Then she said, “My favorite thing about Ag is being able to teach others about its importance.”

Larson claimed she would describe agriculture as, “Life.” and her interests about agriculture contain, “The vast knowledge that agriculturists hold.”

Larson stated that, “Ag is a 365 day 24 hours a day operation.There is no day off for those involved in agriculture.” and afterwards, stated, “Without Ag there is no life.”

Moving on to Kristen Maciel, another agriculture teacher who has been teaching for 3 years, said, “I chose to teach ag because I enjoy working with animals as well as students.I also enjoyed how Ag programs teach students real life skills and prepare them for their futures.”

Maciel stated that she likes, “I like knowing that agriculture is essential and it doesn’t stop.  Animals need to be fed and cared for, crops need to be sprayed, harvested, etc. It’s a 365 job and showing students how they can play a role in that process besides just farming is what I like.” then stated her dislikes, “I dislike how sometimes our classes are used as a “last resort” for some students. They have no interest in being in our class and it makes it hard to make things exciting or productive for the other students around them.”

Maciel claimed that, “My favorite thing is seeing how many students stay in our program and watch their growth from freshman year to their senior year.” and her least favorite thing is, “My least favorite thing is the amount of extra hours we work but it’s all for our students and to see our kids smiling and enjoying themselves makes it worth being a little tired.”

Maciel expressed how she would describe agriculture, “I would describe agriculture classes as a way to explore other ideas and industries while also being able to be hands-on in your classes. All Ag classes provide a way for everyone to put the pen and paper down, close the chromebooks, and use your mind and own judgment to complete skills.” and then said, “I find the variety of careers within agriculture very interesting. There are so many!”

“Like I said before, no matter the job, in agriculture you are working a lot. There are many challenges you go through but it is a very rewarding job,” Maciel claimed. 

Lastly, “Without agriculture we would all be naked and hungry.”