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New ag education, FFA program grows rapidly

A new ag education program has grown rapidly in one Wisconsin community.

Ag instructor Brooks Lueck wanted to start a new ag education and FFA program right out of college, which led him to La Crosse, where the two high schools received one FFA charter last year.  He tells Brownfield one of the big drivers for growth was an animal care class. “That progressed into two new classes with a greenhouse and wildlife management course, and that really caused the exponential growth.”

Jared Mickelson is La Crosse’s middle school ag educator, and he was able to expose more young students to the opportunities in ag. “As it is an elective for the high schoolers to choose from, every seventh grader in both middle schools had me at some point last year, so I saw four-hundred and something students over the year.”

Mickelson says at the middle school, he starts with the basics. “You’d be shocked. In an urban area, some students didn’t even know that pork came from pigs, so there’s a lot of ways that we work to make our students more informed consumers.”

Some of the La Crosse students are excited to have a middle school FFA chapter.  Payton Kamprud tells Brownfield, “I did it at my old school for FFA and then when I transferred to the La Crosse district, I found out there was an FFA so I joined that.”  Spencer Harpenau says, “I like how you’re involved in the community all of the time.  Just a few weeks ago, we got to make pancakes for our teachers, which we are very thankful for.  We do so much work for many of the adults, and I’m just proud to say I’m part of the La Crosse FFA first middle school chapter.”   Kehler Trost is new to ag education, saying,  “I didn’t know what FFA was until six months ago, but it’s a really fun experience.”

La Crosse is becoming the only middle school in the state with an FFA charter during the convention, but another district and a virtual school are looking to add new middle school chapters next year.

AUDIO: Staff and some students from the La Crosse district discuss the rapidly-expanding FFA program in their district with Brownfield’s Larry Lee