Exploring Agriculture

The development of the Exploring Agriculture curriculum was made possible by a grant from FCS Financial and the employee contributions made on behalf of the company. FCS Financial made the decision to fund this project based upon the results of a survey given to agriculture teachers across the state of Missouri. The need for an updated middle school curriculum was evident. A core group of specialists in the field oversaw and participated in the development and implementation of this three-year project. Appreciation is expressed to those individuals for contributing valuable time and resources in developing this curriculum:

Advisory Council Members

The following individuals served on the advisory council and provided guidance and direction as this the curriculum framework was created:

• Zachary Crews, Slater High School
• Amanda Sullivan, Montgomery County High School
• Paige Brock, Braymer High School
• Jennifer Poindexter, Union Middle School
• Rusty Allgier, Fredericktown High School
• Eugene Meyer, Sarcoxie High School
• Emily Reed, Marshall High School
• Martha Schreiman, Santa Fe High School
• Hilary Black, Missouri Corn Growers
• Kurt Boeckmann, Department of Natural Resources
• Scott Gardner, FCS Financial

Curriculum Writing Teams

A special thank you to the following individuals and businesses for lending their personal expertise and guidance throughout the animal science curriculum writing portion of the project:

• Eugene Meyer, Sarcoxie High School
• Tiffany Kauffman, Seymour High School
• Amanda Bell, Summersville High School
• Dr. Tony Martin, MFA: Director of Animal Health

A special thank you to the following individuals and businesses for lending their personal expertise and guidance throughout the plant science curriculum writing portion of the project:

• Lezlie Durst, Canton High School
• Amanda Sullivan, Montgomery County High School
• Kristen Fenner, Sweet Springs High School
• Shyla Baxter, Owensville High School
• Karla Riggs, Smithton High School

A special thank you to the following individuals and businesses for lending their personal expertise and guidance throughout the natural resources curriculum writing portion of the project:

• Taylor Howell, Higbee High School
• Amanda Bell, Summersville High School
• Shyla Baxter, Owensville High School
• Rachel Hudson, Clopton High School

A special thank you to the following individuals and businesses for lending their personal expertise and guidance throughout the food science curriculum writing portion of the project:

•  Dr. Andrew Clarke, University of Missouri
• Tiffany Kauffman, Seymour High School
• Jennifer Poindexter, Union Middle School
• Matt Pendergrass, Doniphan High School
•  Sean O’Brien, Silex High School

A special thank you to the following individuals and businesses for lending their personal expertise and guidance throughout the agriculture systems and technology curriculum writing portion of the project:

• Phoebe Frazer, Mexico Middle School
• Dustin Lambertsen, Tarkio High School
• Jeff Suthoff, Blair Oaks High School

A special thank you to the following individuals and businesses for lending their personal expertise and guidance throughout the agribusiness curriculum writing portion of the project:

• Paige Brock, Braymer High School
• Haley Broyles, Seneca High School
• Lezlie Durst, Canton High School

Field Testing Sites

The following field testing sites were utilized in reviewing the animal and plant science curriculum content and activities, along with providing feedback for needed revisions.

• Keriann Brandt, Monroe City Schools
•  Haley Broyles, Seneca Jr High School
• Tiffany Dugan, Northwest High School
• Cheyenne Martin, Grundy County Schools
• Sara Green, Jackson Schools
• Jennifer Poindexter, Union Middle School

The following field testing sites were utilized in reviewing the food science and natural resources curriculum content and activities, along with providing feedback for needed revisions. These individuals served as 2019-2020 Ambassadors:

• Heather Johnson, Salem High School
• Amanda Sullivan, Montgomery County High School
•  Rylyn Small, East Prairie High School
• Cheyenne Martin, Grundy County Schools
• Eugene Meyer, Sarcoxie High School
• Martha Schreiman, Santa Fe High School

The following field testing sites were utilized in reviewing the agriculture systems and technology and agribusinesscurriculum content and activities, along with providing feedback for needed revisions.

• Paige Brock, Braymer High School
• Haley Broyles, Seneca High School
• Phoebe Frazer, Mexico Middle School
• Heather Johnson, Salem High School
• Matt Pendergrass, Doniphan High School

Ambassadors & Other Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the 2018-2019 Ambassadors for the animal and plant science curriculum:

• Blaine Martin, Northwest District Representative
• Amanda Sullivan, Northeast District Representative
• Zach Crews, Central District Representative
• Eugene Meyer, Southwest District Representative
• Amanda Bell, South Central District Representative
• Rusty Allgier, Southeast District Representative

Special thanks to the 2021-2022 Ambassadors for the agriculture systems and technology and agribusiness curriculum:

• Paige Brock, Braymer High School
• Lezlie Durst, Canton High School
• Phoebe Frazer, Mexico Middle School
• Heather Johnson, Salem High School
• Matt Pendergrass, Doniphan High School

And finally, thank you to the agriculture education students at Northwest Missouri State University for capturing images for the lab sheets over the course of the development.

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Copyright © 2023 Missouri Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. All Rights Reserved.

• Virtual Ag Assignments: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UuofLQ5qw6ZB-Iick-OzRvvuVFAa0VzI/view?usp=sharing