One of the more well-known agricultural education programs is Ag in the Classroom. Funding of the program, however, is not provided to the states by the USDA, and is left up to individual states. In some states, Ag in the Classroom is under auspices of the state Farm Bureau, but in Washington, Schnebly said, it stands as an individual entity. More than 1,400 teachers have completed the Washington training course during the past 15 years. Week-long seminars, with about 30 teachers enrolled in each, are held throughout the state during summer months.
Teachers receive three continuing-education credits for their participation.
If we can get the teachers to adopt agriculture into their curriculum, that's a bonus. She said teachers from both urban and rural schools generally share the same misperceptions about farmers. They think farmers are either dirt poor or really rich. Typical subjects covered during the seminars include general overviews of global, domestic, and state agriculture, soils and fertilizers, pesticide issues, entomology, watersheds and water, noxious weeds, forestry, aquaculture, and production of crops, animals, apples, nursery, vegetables, and others. Field trips, lectures, and hands-on activities that can be repeated in the classroom make up the intensive study session.