By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Thirteen Texas teachers attended the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The conference is an immersive professional development opportunity designed to equip educators with tools to integrate agricultural concepts into their classrooms. The conference offered hands-on workshops, farm and agribusiness tours and the chance to collaborate and network with educators and agricultural experts from across the country.

“The National Ag in the Classroom Conference is a premier ag in the classroom professional development for educators,” said Jordan Bartels, Texas Farm Bureau associate director of Organization Division, Education and Outreach. “It brings together teachers and agricultural experts from across the country to share ideas and build connections. We are proud to have 13 Texas teachers in attendance who are passionate about finding new and creative ways to bring agriculture into their classrooms.”

During the conference, teachers also participated in experiential learning workshops and brought home resources with the latest technology, methods and tools to integrate agriculture and food systems into their classrooms.

For Crystal Osborn, a middle school science teacher at Lubbock Christian School, the networking and new resources she gained were invaluable.

“One of the biggest reasons to attend the conference is the opportunity to connect with other teachers and professionals who are passionate about teaching agriculture to future generations,” Osborn said. “The resources, activities and ideas I was able to bring back to my classroom were incredible.”

Osborn participated in a traveling workshop at the University of Minnesota, where she toured the Raptor Center to learn how veterinary students help rehabilitate birds. She also visited the university’s farms, greenhouses and educational outreach programs.

One session stood out to Osborn.

“One of the activities was called ‘Book in a Basket.’ You introduce an agriculture-related book and include items in a basket that help students retell the story,” Osborn said. “I saw it as a great opportunity for my middle schoolers to create something and then take it to younger students, giving them a chance to teach the lesson themselves.”

The conference also left a lasting impression on Savannah Hudson, a math teacher at Fred Elementary School.

She connected with teachers from Michigan and Pennsylvania to start a pen pal exchange focused on agriculture and geography, discovered new literacy resources and even had ag-themed books signed by authors to share with her students.

“My kids are going to love opening those books signed by the authors. They’re going to say, ‘You met the author?’” Hudson said. “It was such an amazing experience.”

Hudson has always had a passion for agriculture, inspired by her father, who was an agricultural science teacher for 30 years. That influence, combined with her interest in growing things, led her to teach students where their food comes from.

“When my students told me food comes from the grocery store, I realized I had to teach them the whole process,” Hudson said. “I want them to understand where things begin and appreciate all the work that goes into it. I want them to know agriculture is so much more than just feeding pigs, but it’s science and technology and so many careers they’ve never imagined.”

Hudson and Osborn were both awarded a TFB scholarship to attend the conference. The scholarships helped cover conference registration fees, airfare, hotel and up to $300 in expenses.

Additional educators who received TFB scholarships included Alison Davis, Lisa Reaves and Meredith Collier.

Michealle Coker, a science teacher at Central Heights High School, presented at the conference, as did Jordan Gates from McGregor Elementary School and Melissa Houchin from McGregor Primary School.

Emily Williams, a teacher at Bess Brannen Elementary and 2024 TFB Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher Award winner, also attended the trip and gave a presentation at the conference.

For more information on TFB’s Ag in the Classroom program, visit texasfarmbureau.org/aitc.