University of Idaho Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications

by Maggie Elliot A visit to Zenner Farm Photo Credit: Bill Loftus     German students pursuing master’s degrees in geography  visited the Pacific Northwest on a late August field trip, stopping in the Palouse to learn about the area. This meeting offered an opportunity for both University of Idaho and University of Kiel students to learn about each others' agriculture. Located in northern Germany about 60 miles from Denmark, the students were accustomed to fields of winter wheat and corn grown in the region, which includes dense forests, rivers and mountains. In comparison, the students regarded the Palouse, with its vast golden fields, as a desert, although the area receives only two inches less rain a year than Kiel.  “The Pacific Northwest is one of the most interesting destinations for geographers because it has so much to offer.” said Thore Christiansen. “What struck each and every one of us was the amount of open space. In Germany, every square meter has

Happy Thanksgiving!

     Thankful & Grateful was the theme kicking off this year’s Collegiate FFA Fall Banquet. Members attended to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season, commemorate a successful year with Collegiate FFA, and send off the student teacher candidates with style. Students used the gathering as an opportunity to raise money for the charity Heifer International, collecting over $150 for the cause.      Thanksgiving is a time where we step aside from the busy routine of our daily lives, gather with family and friends, and reflect on our blessings. Collegiate FFA’s annual Thanksgiving Feast stands as a symbol for the close-knit, family atmosphere of the Agricultural Education and Extension department. Decorations for the event included pictures of members noting what they were thankful for, and a recurring statement was “ Thankful and Grateful for my Ag Ed family.”  The highlight of the evening was the senior send off, as the student teaching candidates together crafted “

Townsend Ag Instructor Jemma Morrow shares the rewards of starting a new FFA chapter I grew up in 4-H with my sister. We had small animals including chickens and rabbits. When I was in the 8th grade, students from the Agricultural Center came to recruit students for the Ag Program the following year. I was really interested so I signed up for the class. As a sophomore I got really involved with Career Development Events and attending FFA Meetings. My passion for agriculture and FFA grew quickly. At the beginning of my senior year, I knew I wanted to pursue Agricultural Education and I applied at the University of Idaho. My four years there allowed me to meet teachers around the state of Idaho and start to network. I am so lucky to have had that experience. Once I graduated, I accepted the job in Townsend, Montana, starting a brand new program. I was glad I got to see what Idaho Ag Ed was like and mix my experiences to create the program that I am at.

 By Maggie Elliot University of Idaho’s department of Agricultural and Extension Education led an important role at the National FFA Convention and Expo. Faculty assisted with the Agriscience Fair, Prepared Public Speaking, and Parliamentary Procedure CDE, of which nine Collegiate FFA members helped to facilitate. Very few universities offer Agricultural Education students the opportunity to facilitate CDE’s on a national level. Members ran scorecards, took notes, recorded time, and graded minutes, but perhaps the most valuable aspect of working at the convention was examining the interactions between advisors and students in the competitive environment. “Experiential Learning is a cornerstone of what we expect of our teachers and by using this experience to develop our teachers, they become witness to its effectiveness.” Said Assistant Professor Dr. Jeremy Falk. “Our students conduct daily reflections as a group and their insights are above par, including: interac

Congratulations to  assistant professor Dr. Kasee Smith who received an outstanding research presentation award during the American Association for Agricultural Education's Western Region meeting in September!