More than 50 educators from across Michigan spent June 10 exploring agriculture through the lens of the classroom at the first Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom Conference.
The day featured a packed schedule of grade-specific sessions designed to help teachers incorporate agriculture into their lesson plans. Each session, whether dairy- or berry-focused, also helped teachers better understand the free resources available through Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom (MIAITC) and its partner organizations.
Among the presenters was Joyce Neyer, a retired teacher, member of the Michigan Farm Bureau State Promotion & Education Committee, and instructor in the FARM Science Program. Neyer led a session titled “Bunches of Berries.” The workshop introduced teachers to resources on the MIAITC curriculum matrix, a sortable, digital lesson library that highlights Michigan’s fruit industry.
“The goal was to help teachers better understand Michigan’s specialty fruit crops while showing them classroom-ready lessons for their students,” Neyer said.
Neyer saw the excitement spark as she watched participants learn about new resources and complete the student activities.
“When you get teachers together, there’s always a lot of conversation, but they were really getting into the activities,” she said. “They were really bought into the idea.”
For Eaton Rapids High School ag teacher Sarah Albrecht, the conference offered practical ideas she can immediately apply in the classroom.
“I’m going into my second year, so I take all the help that I can get,” Albrecht said. “It just felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
One Albrecht’s biggest takeaways was discovering new ways to make lessons more hands-on for students.
“A lot of the resources they’re giving us are ways to take what we learned out of a book or what we do in PowerPoint and translate that into a classroom activity that students want to participate in and learn from,” she said.
The conference also challenged educators to think more broadly about agriculture’s role in everyday life. MFB’s 2024 Educator of the Year, Annalyse Auxter, led a session encouraging teachers to move beyond traditional perceptions of agriculture.
“We’re moving past just the image of barns and a farmer with a pitchfork into actually what agriculture can be,” Auxter said.
Educators also explored resources such as Journey 2050 and the Purple Plow Challenges while connecting with fellow teachers and agricultural organizations.
“I love getting together with other educators who have a passion for agriculture,” Auxter said. “It’s wonderful to have this time set aside where we really get together and talk about how we’re doing it and all of the amazing resources available for teachers.”
Neyer said access to quality agricultural education resources and networking opportunities were among the conference’s greatest strengths.
“Good resources for agriculture information and STEM are number one,” she said. “Networking is always a plus of any conference, but it is great to be able to give educators the confidence and tools they need to teach agriculture accurately.”
As the first Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom Conference came to a close, educators left with new ideas, classroom-ready activities, and valuable connections that will help bring agriculture to life for students across the state — helping ensure the next generation develops a stronger appreciation for the farmers, commodities, and innovations that shape the state’s food system.
Dori Stuever is interning with MFB’s Young Farmer and Promotion & Education programs.
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