By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
For Jacob Spivey, agriculture was love at first sight.
“I fell in love with agriculture when I was in fourth grade,” he said. “The local ag teacher came by my house to drop off my first show pig. From that moment, I was hooked.”
This initial spark would grow into a lifelong passion for agriculture and education, influencing every step of his career.
After graduating high school, Spivey attended college at Stephen F. Austin State University and Texas A&M University in Kingsville, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education.
Following his heart, Spivey started his career as a high school and middle school agricultural science teacher before shifting roles to an AgriLife Extension agent in Tyler County, where he grew up.
Things would come full circle seven years later.
“I received a phone call that changed my life. I was offered a position to teach high school agriculture in my hometown,” he said. “I’d be working with my mentor, the man who began my love for agriculture and my best friend, who I went to high school and college with. I took the position and never looked back.”
As an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor at Warren High School, Spivey introduces his students to a variety of agricultural topics, from livestock and horticultural projects to leadership development. He also train teams for FFA competitions.
“Those teams are perhaps my favorite aspect of the job, teaching students the skills needed for the agricultural industry of today and tomorrow, including the importance of tell our story and advocating for an industry that feeds the world,” he said.
Spivey’s dedication to promoting agriculture extends beyond his classroom.
He has made it his mission to grow agricultural literacy, particularly in his increasingly suburban community.
“As our county grows, fewer people have a direct connection to agriculture,” he said. “Without a strong agricultural knowledge, uninformed members of our community can mislead them into making harmful decisions impacting agriculture.”
He works to grow that understanding through his involvement with Tyler County Farm Bureau.
Spivey serves as the secretary on the county’s board of directors and as the Youth Activities chair, as well as coordinates the Ag Education Day in his community.
The program, which is tied to Tyler County Agriculture Week, has grown to include all fourth-grade students from the six elementary schools in the county.
Ag Education Day addresses questions students might have about agriculture. The lessons align with fourth-grade science TEKS while engaging them in topics such as erosion, dairy production, pollination, Texas commodities and animal husbandry.
“Even today, I’ll have students in my high school class who remember their first taste of agriculture being at Ag Education Day,” Spivey said.
The event brings local agricultural groups, FFA chapters and 4-H clubs together to help lead the lessons.
“Involving these young people as student leaders, not only helps to educate the fourth grade students, but teaches the older students how to advocate for the industry they already love,” he said.
He previously served on Texas Farm Bureau’s Forestry Advisory Committee and attended the National Affairs Awards Trip in Washington, D.C.
Spivey’s involvement in agriculture doesn’t stop there, though.
His deep roots in agriculture go back nearly 150 years. His family’s involvement began in the timber industry in Florida and Georgia before moving to Texas where they continued to be involved in timber production and raise Brahman cattle.
Spivey is the fourth generation in his family to raise cattle, and it’s a passion he hopes he and his wife, Melanie, can pass on to their two daughters.
“They aren’t quite old enough to show animals yet, but we still find ways for them to be involved in the things their daddy loves,” Spivey said.
Watch a video with Spivey.
Excellence in Agriculture Contest
Spivey is a finalist in TFB’s Excellence in Agriculture Contest.
The contest recognizes young men and women ages 18 to 35 who are involved in agriculture but do not earn their primary income from a farm or ranch enterprise.
Information on the contest and TFB’s YF&R program can be found online at texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.
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