Agricultural education is instruction about crop

Crop

Crop may refer to:* Crop, a plant grown and harvested for agricultural use* Crop , part of the alimentary tract of some animals* Crop , a modified whip used in horseback riding or disciplining humans...

 production, livestock

Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...

 management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

. Agricultural education includes instruction in food

Food

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...

 education, such as nutrition

Nutrition

Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....

. Agricultural and food education improves the quality of life for all people by helping farmers increase production, conserve resources, and provide nutritious foods.

There are four major fields of agricultural education:

• Elementary agriculture education
• Secondary agricultural education
• College agricultural education
• General education in agriculture

Elementary agriculture is taught in public schools and private schools, and deals with such subjects as how plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

s and animal

Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...

s grow and how soil is farmed and conserved. Vocational agricultural trains people for jobs in such areas as production, marketing

Marketing

Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...

, and conservation. College agriculture involves training of people to teach, conduct research

Research

Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

, or provide information to advance the field of agriculture and food science

Food science

Food science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork"...

 in other ways. General education agriculture informs the public about food and agriculture.

In the United States

The chief sources of agriculture education in the United States are:

• High School
  High school
  High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
  
  s
• Community College
  Community college
  A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
  
  s
• Universities
  University
  A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
  
   and college
  College
  A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
  
  s
• Youth organization
• 10x15

High schools

High schools in every state, the District of Columbia

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, Guam, and the Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...

 provide vocational agriculture training for over half a million students yearly (2007). The purpose of agricultural education is to provide students with the personal, academic, and career experiences essential for success in the fields of science, business, and technology. High school agricultural education programs consist of three components: classroom/laboratory instruction, Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE), and FFA.

Classroom curriculum and laboratory exercises provide students a foundation of knowledge in agricultural practices, preparing them for careers in food, fiber, and natural resource industries. Supervised Agricultural Experiences provide students the opportunity to experience ownership of their own agricultural enterprise or work in the industry. Examples of SAE projects would be a student raising a crop or an animal, working on a farm, or employment at an agriculture business, such as a machinery dealer. These projects offer "real world" experiences to students as well as practical application of concepts learned in the classroom. SAE's also enable students to develop skills in agriculturally related career areas. FFA is a national organization that develops students' potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. Students grow as individuals and leaders through their involvement in competitions, degree programs, community service projects, and state and national leadership conventions. Members of the FFA gain self-confidence and interpersonal skills that will assist them in achieving success in their educational, career, and personal futures.
The combination of the three components of agricultural education, classroom/laboratory, SAE, and FFA, develop proud, well-rounded individuals who will become future leaders of the agriculture industry.

Colleges and universities

Colleges and universities award about 21,000 bachelor's degrees in agriculture each year (1988). About 6,000 other students receive a master's or doctor's degree (1988).

Land-grant universities

Land-grant universities award more than three-quarters of all agricultural degrees (1988). These state schools receive federal aid under legislation that followed the Morrill Act of 1862, which granted public lands to support agricultural or mechanical education. Land-grant universities have three chief functions:

• Teaching.
• Research.
• Extension service.

Teaching

Colleges of agriculture prepare students for careers in all aspects of the food and agricultural system. Some career choices include food science

Food science

Food science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of foods, beginning with harvesting or slaughtering, and ending with its cooking and consumption, an ideology commonly referred to as "from field to fork"...

, veterinary science, farming, ranching, teaching, marketing

Marketing

Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...

, agricultural communication

Agricultural communication

Agricultural communication is a field of study and work that focuses on communication about agricultural related information among agricultural stakeholders and between agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders. It is done formally and informally by agricultural extension and is considered a...

, management

Management

Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...

, and social services.

The Association for Career and Technical Education

Association for Career and Technical Education

The Association for Career and Technical Education is the professional association of CTE educators . It is a nonprofit membership association based in the United States. Its members are primarily educators and administrators of career and technical education , which is sometimes known as...

 (ACTE), the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers, provides resources for agricultural education.

Research

Each land-grant university has an agricultural experiment station equipped with laboratories and experimental farms. There, agricultural scientists work to develop better farming methods, solve the special problems of local farmers, and provide new technology. Research published in scholarly journals about agricultural safety is available from the NIOSH-supported National Agricultural Safety Database

National Agricultural Safety Database

The National Ag Safety Database was developed with funding from the United States National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health , the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the USDA Cooperative Extension Service . The information contained in NASD was contributed by safety...

. The American Dairy Science Association

American Dairy Science Association

The American Dairy Science Association is a non-profit professional organization for the advancement of dairy science. ADSA is headquartered in Savoy, Illinois, located near the Urbana-Champaign, Illinois area....

 provides research and education scholarships focused on the dairy

Dairy

A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...

 farm and processing industries.

Scholarly journals

• North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal
• Journal of Dairy Science

Extension service

The Cooperative Extension System is a partnership of the federal, state, and county governments. This service distributes information gathered by the land-grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to farmers, families, and young people. County extension agents, located in most countries (1988), train and support about 3 million (1988) volunteer leaders. Agents and volunteers carry out extension programs through meetings, workshops, newsletters, radio, television, and visits.

Youth organizations

Youth organizations involved in agricultural education include 4-H

4-H

4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...

 and National FFA Organization

National FFA Organization

The National FFA Organization is an American youth organization known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education...

 (FFA). Members of 4-H carry out group and individual projects dealing with conservation

Conservation biology

Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...

, food and agriculture, health and safety, and other subjects. The 4-H program in the United States is part of the Cooperative Extension Service and has about 6 million members (2006). More than just a club, the FFA is an integral part of the program of agricultural education in many high schools as a result of Public Law 740 in 1950 (Currently revised as Publication 105-225 of the 105th Congress of the United States), with 500,823 FFA members (2007–2008). Local chapters participate in Career Development Events (individually and as a team), each student has a Supervised Agricultural Experience program (SAE), and participates in many conferences and conventions to develop leadership, citizenship, patriotism and excellence in agriculture. The National FFA Organization is structured from the local chapter up, including local districts, areas, regions, state associations, and the national level. The FFA Mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

History

The rapid growth of agricultural education began during the late 19th century. In 1862, the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 created the Department of Agriculture to gather and distribute agricultural information. The Morrill Act, which provided the land-grant schools, became law that same year. The Hatch Act

Hatch Act of 1887

The Hatch Act of 1887 gave federal funds, initially of $15,000 each, to state land-grant colleges in order to create a series of agricultural experiment stations, as well as pass along new information, especially in the areas of soil minerals and plant growth...

 of 1887 gave federal funds to establish agricultural experiment stations. The first dairy school in the U.S. was created at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

University of Wisconsin–Madison

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...

 in 1890.
Government support for agricultural education has increased during the 20th century. For example, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created what is now the Cooperative Extension System (1988). The Smith-Hughes Act

Smith-Hughes Act

The Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917 was an act of the United States Congress that promoted vocational agriculture to train people "who have entered upon or who are preparing to enter upon the work of the farm," and provided federal funds for this purpose...

 of 1917 and the George-Barden Act of 1946 financed high-school instruction in farming. Woodlawn High School (Woodlawn, Virginia)

Woodlawn High School (Woodlawn, Virginia)

Woodlawn High School was a public secondary school located in Carroll County, Virginia, at Woodlawn, Virginia. The last academic year as a high school was 1968-1969. The school graduated one hundred seniors in the final class of 1969. The following year all tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade...

 was the first public high school in the United States to offer agricultural education classes under the Smith-Hughes Act. The Vocational Education Act of 1963 funded training in other fields of agriculture.
Agricultural science and education expanded after 1900 in response to a need for more technical knowledge and skill. This development led to the use of modern farming methods that required fewer farmworkers. Another major result of this change was the creation of larger farms and ranches. This development increased the need for more agriculture science and education.

In other countries

The history of agricultural education predates USA activities and derives from, the development of Scottish, Italian and German colleges. The land grant approach of the USA owes much to the Scottish system in particular. Changes in higher agricultural education around the world today are highlighting implicit approaches that have hampered development and exceptional advances that have fed the world. the process has been described in one text (below) which takes a global perspective.

Agricultural education in other countries resembles that in the United States. Canada has its own 4-H program. Agriculture Canada distributes information on new farming methods and maintains experimental farms, research stations, and research institutions throughout the country. In Australia, each state has several agricultural research stations and an extension service. Great Britain has a program of youth clubs called Young Farmer's Clubs that resemble 4-H. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations works to train people throughout the world in modern farming methods. The United States gives technical assistance to farmers in developing nations through its Agency for International Development (AID).

10x15

"By 2015 there will be in operation 10,000 quality agricultural science education programs serving students through an integrated model of classroom/laboratory instruction, experiential learning, and leadership and personal skill development. Further, all students will be members of the FFA and have a supervised agricultural experience that supports classroom and laboratory instruction.' -Team Ag Ed

The Case for Growth and Quality in Agricultural Education

Of the critical issues facing the nation, few are more compelling than improving the academic performance of public schools and ensuring a stable, safe and affordable food supply. Today agricultural education is positioned to contribute substantially in these arenas through a major national initiative.
Under the direction of The National Council for Agricultural Education, the “10x15 Long Range Goal for Agricultural Education” employs a comprehensive strategy engaging eight high-priority initiatives. The focus of the unprecedented effort is twofold: create new programs in communities not yet served by agricultural education and FFA, and ensure the quality and high performance of current programs providing personal, academic and career education in agriculture. While the goal of “10x15” is to grow the number of agricultural education programs from 7,200 to 10,000 by the year 2015, the clear emphasis is on quality.

Several factors make this effort timely and essential. First, the public’s expectations for higher student achievement are leading to dramatic increases in accountability, standards, rigor and relevance throughout education. Especially critical is the need to raise math and science proficiency. Second, the industry of agriculture, already concerned about meeting growing domestic and global demands for food and fiber, is eager to identify the future managers, leaders and workers who will ensure the future security and productivity of agriculture. A forecasted shortage of well-educated workers is adding urgency to the issue. Also, concerns about food safety, security and independence are registering at the highest levels of agribusiness and government. Lastly, local communities are intent on cultivating leadership and securing effective participation from their citizens. Through the intra-curricular programs of agricultural education and the FFA, a half-million students are developing skills in leadership, communication, team building and civic engagement. They will be prepared to provide for the social, economic and cultural well-being of small communities and large urban centers alike.

The work of “10x15” is concentrated in eight national taskforces operating over the next several years. Their scope of work includes national program and content standards; teacher recruitment and preparation; alternative program design; data reporting; public advocacy; brand communication strategy; and program funding. Driving the work of “10x15” are more than a hundred top leaders drawn from today’s Team Ag Ed, including teachers, students, university educators, state education leaders, the National FFA Organization, alumni, business and industry, and key stakeholders

Agricultural educators

• Washington State University, Online Organic Agriculture Certificate Program
• Otto F Hunziker
  Otto Frederick Hunziker
  Otto Frederick Hunziker was a pioneer in the American and international dairy industry, as both an educator and a technical innovator. Otto Hunziker was born and raised in Switzerland, emigrated to the U.S., and studied at Cornell University. He started and developed the dairy program at Purdue...
  
  , Purdue University
  Purdue University
  Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
  
  
• Raymond A. Pearson, Cornell University
  Cornell University
  Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
  
  
• HAS Den Bosch
  HAS Den Bosch
  thumb|300px|HAS Den Bosch[['s-Hertogenbosch]]University of Applied Sciences HAS Den Bosch is the key Dutch training institute and centre of expertise for the fields of agriculture, horticulture, food, nature conservation and environment in the south of the Netherlands...
  
  
• Kasetsart University
  Kasetsart University
  Kasetsart University is a public university in Thailand and a top-ranked Public University in Thailand. It is ranked No.401-500 in the world by QS. It was also the first agricultural university and the third oldest university in Thailand...
  
  

External links

• Washington State University's Online Organic Agriculture Certificate Program
• AET Africa | Portal for Agricultural Education and Training in Africa - Provides information on agricultural education in Africa
• PROTA - Provides information on the approximately 7,000 useful plants of Tropical Africa and to provide wide access to the information through Webdatabases, Books, CD-Rom’s and Special Products.
• Association of Career and Technical Education Agricultural Division
• Found Family Farm Learn by taking a tour at a small family farm!
• AgrowKnowledge - The National Center for Agriscience and Technology education
• Illinois Agricultural Education - Curriculum, Careers, and other resources for Ag Teachers in Illinois.
• National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America)
• Transforming Agricultural Education for a Changing World. - 2009 report from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
• Teach Agricultural Education Wiki - Learn more about teaching agricultural education grades 6-12
• Sustainable Agriculture Resources and Programs for K-12 Youth. from the United States Department of Agriculture
  United States Department of Agriculture
  The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
  
  , Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
  Sustainable agriculture research and education
  Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education or is a part of the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. SARE is a granting organization that tries to promote environmentally friendly agriculture and help small farmers become more profitable. Having profitable small...
  
   (SARE) program.
• Educational and Training Opportunities in Sustainable Agriculture. 17th ed. 2006. A worldwide directory of academic and organizational programs from the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library.
• "Should a Liberal Education Include an Agricultural Education?" -- an article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.
• National Association of Agricultural Educators The professional organization for agricultural educators in the United States
• Hay Harvesting in the 1940s instructional films, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library