By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Homeschool educators across Texas learned about agriculture at Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Summer Ag Academy in Rosenberg.
The two-day event provided educators with the opportunity to learn from industry experts, participate in hands-on activities and explore ways to connect students with agriculture.
“Homeschool educators gained a better understanding of agriculture and how to incorporate it into their teaching,” said Carson Read, education coordinator. “They explored various agricultural topics and built connections with fellow educators, generating new ideas for integrating agriculture into their homeschool curriculum.”
For Mikah Bowden, a homeschool educator from Cherokee County, connecting students to agriculture helps bridge the gap between what they learn and the world around them.
“It’s so important for us to teach our students about agriculture because there is such a big misconception about where our food and clothes come from,” Bowden said. “If kids can see where a crop comes from or how an animal is raised or learn that they might be able to do that at home, it helps connect that missing link.”
The event allowed Bowden to build on experiences she has already had through TFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom® programming. A visit to the United Ag Co-op cotton gin in Danevang and demonstrations of agricultural technology gave her new perspectives she could take back to her students.
The group also toured an aerial application operation in El Campo to see how aircraft are used to apply fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides across large areas of farmland.
“Seeing the planes they use for aerial application, the size of the acres they can cover and the technology involved was really interesting,” Mandy Chamberlain, a homeschool educator from Van Zandt County, said.
One of the most valuable aspects of the academy for Chamberlain was learning about resources available to homeschool educators.
“As a homeschool parent, sometimes it’s hard to know what resources are available to us or where to get them,” she said.
The program provided free TFB resources, including structured lessons and hands-on activities designed to connect students of various ages to their food, fiber and fuel.
The resources provided by TFB also give educators flexibility to adapt lessons for students at different grade levels.
“I love the commodity posters because we can use them for practical math and look at real numbers that apply to different areas of Texas,” Bowden said. “I also love the handouts because we can adapt them for younger students or high school students. Through Agriculture in the Classroom®, you get teaching aids for every level, from kindergarten through high school.”
The event took place Aug. 12-13 in Rosenberg.
For over 30 years, TFB has hosted professional development events each summer to help Texas educators make connections with agriculture.
Additional information about educational opportunities for teachers and Agriculture in the Classroom® activities is available at texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.
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