How to teach ag: Making partnerships and spreading the word

If you’re involved in ag you know how important it is to share it with the rest of the world. But we face some challenges in teaching people about ag. We have a lot of knowledge about ag and so many great things to teach others, but how exactly do we reach those who need to know about it? The secret is in partnerships.

Working together never fails to be a great way to expand your reach and make the biggest impact you can. In ag, partnerships are the key to spreading the word to as many people as possible!

Why are partnerships so important in agriculture? Well, when you work together with another person or organization it saves everyone time. For example, you might be an expert in ag but you don’t always have the time to put together an entire event and advertise it in the hopes that people come to learn. But, you might be able to work with a teacher who isn’t an expert about ag but wants their class to learn about it. This saves you both time and energy, and it means you can make a bigger impact. Partnerships also create a community. Working toward making meaningful partnerships can create an entire community of people working toward a common goal of teaching people about agriculture.

The other key to teaching people about ag is making it fun. No one is going to have a good time learning about ag if they are just hearing a lecture. But providing ways for people to see ag and experience things hands-on will actually stick with people while providing a fun way to learn!

Possible partners are all around you. It might take a little time or research, but there’s a lot out there. Some partners might be really easy to find. You might get involved in sharing ag with your kids’ classrooms or an organization you or your family are a part of. Let’s dive a little deeper into possible partners!

Schools are a pretty obvious partner, but there’s a lot of ways to get involved there! Teachers might appreciate classroom visits, a petting zoo set up outside school, and after school programs would love you to teach something. If you have the resources, you could participate in or start a farm to table program at a local school for something a little more outside the box. This is an amazing way to ensure youth have access to fresh, local, nutritious food while teaching them where their food comes from.

While you’re visiting a school, connect with your local FFA chapter! Ag teachers and FFA Advisors generally love visitors, guest speakers, and so much more. FFA members could even help you spread the word about ag event more.

Talk to your local Farm Bureau board. If you’re not already a Farm Bureau member, consider joining. Your local Farm Bureau board likely already has connections or is hosting events that you could help out with. They might already be looking for volunteers to help at events or host a breakfast on the farm.

Give your local Extension Office a call. Your Extension Educator (or Agent) probably has a lot of opportunities for you to teach in a classroom, to a 4-H club, at a day camp, or some other event. They also tend to have a lot of knowledge of what youth in your community need to learn and how to reach them. Your local Extension Office would probably love any educational tools or supplies you have too. For example, you could borrow some of the equipment or supplies you use on your farm so it could be used to teach youth what those tools are and how they work. You could even donate seed or feed samples and other things like wool that can be used for judging contests or to teach youth. FFA chapters might also appreciate this type of support.

There are lots of businesses and companies out there who are willing to partner in other ways by offering grants, sponsorships, and donating to ensure that kids have access to ag education. These organizations might also promote events or hang up flyers.

You could consider working with a local library or church to host an event. Some other ideas could be hosting a farm to table meal, helping to start a community garden, mentoring high school students interested in ag, providing a virtual farm tour and so much more. The possibilities in teaching ag and partnering with others is almost unlimited, you find need to find the right connections.

One of the best ways to amplify the impact we can have on ag is making partnerships. Since farmers make up under 2 percent of the American population, it’s important to remember that educating people about agriculture is not just our responsibility. It takes a village to work together to teach others about our industry and share how amazing ag truly is. Working to network with others and make connections is key to ensuring the future of our industry.

Michelle Miller, the Farm Babe, is a farmer, public speaker, and writer who has worked for years with row crops, beef cattle, and sheep. She believes education is key in bridging the gap between farmers and consumers.