Agriculture Ambassador Visits

I spent Thanksgiving break giving Agriculture Ambassador
 presentations to students at the Gallatin School District.
I explained to high schoolers the importance of being an
advocate for agriculture. 

I had the opportunity to spend my Thanksgiving break doing what I love; talking about agriculture. I facilitated workshops and gave presentations as part of my role as a National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador. This program is through the National FFA Association and requires that I conduct 30 hours of agricultural presentations throughout my year as an Ambassador.

I visited the Gallatin School District, and it was great to come back as an alumni to discuss the importance of agriculture to students. I conducted day-long visits to both the elementary and high school.

At the elementary, I taught students how agriculture ties into their Thanksgiving dinner. We talked about how each state has specialized crops that farmers grow. These crops are then transported and made into our Thanksgiving favorites, from pumpkin pie to mashed potatoes.

I presented to the high school agricultural classes. It was ironic to be back in the classes I was once a student in and to see my picture for FFA achievements on classroom walls. I discussed the importance of agriculture advocacy, the need for agriculture majors and the role our industry places in combating world hunger. I had given many FFA speeches in those classrooms, but this was my first experience as a teacher.

I also conducted a civic presentation to the Boonville Rotary Club. I discussed my experiences in the FFA that led me to my role as a Agriculture Ambassador. I presented on Feeding a Growing World, which focused on the impending world population epidemic and the importance of agriculture producers. The group was a wonderful audience and we had excellent dialog about current issues in agriculture and my personal experiences that have impacted my career choice in agriculture.

I had a wonderful time presenting to more than 500 individuals from both agriculture and non-agriculure backgrounds during my Thanksgiving break. I look forward to visiting more schools and civic groups during Christmas break. I view collegiate breaks as an opportunity to continue to learn and to educate others about issues in agriculture through my role as an Ambassador.

Kindergartners learned the MILK song and where diary
 products originate to end up on our grocery store shelves. 

I spoke with local Rotary Clubs about the impending
population increase and its effects on agriculture.