University of Idaho Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications

By Liz Bumstead and Bret Kindall  Earlier this month, students from the University of Idaho spent a week at the  2017 Idaho FFA State Leadership Conference in Twin Falls, Idaho, where a staggering 1,600 FFA members flooded in from across the state.  Twenty nine UI students were enrolled in the Agriculture Education 498 course, three were student interns for the Idaho FFA Foundation, and one was present as a College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Ambassador. This is a unique and engaging opportunity offered to students at the University of Idaho. Students don’t have to be a part of a specific department to be involved, all majors are encouraged to help. For the students enrolled in the course, countless hours of preparation were conducted to coordinate various aspects of the conference. The responsibilities of these students ranged from backstage coordination to delegate business. These students met every week during the spring semester.  One of th

By Maggie Elliot Visiting the universitiy's botanical garden  Eight students and 2 faculty members from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences undertook a study abroad trip to Guadalajara, Mexico over spring break. I had the pleasure of joining the team of Vandals to explore agriculture in the region surrounding the city of Guadalajara.  Guadalajara is a city in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Agriculture is a primary source of employment in Jalisco, as the state produces a fifth of the entire nation’s dairy, poultry, and eggs, and is at the heart of the tequila industry. The trip was operated in conjunction with the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, and we interacted with students daily as they drove us to our locations. We visited food processing plants, a dairy, research facilities, a hydroponic nursery, and a tequila distillery. A recurring theme of our visit was the adaption of regional agriculturists to climate change, as Jalisco’s proximi

Daniel Heikkila Location:  American Falls, Idaho Favorite Class: Welding What are you looking forward to?  I’m excited to see how students perform in upcoming district and state competitions. Curious to see how much more growth students will continue have within the classroom. Look forward to becoming more involved within the community and hopefully secure a job prior to graduation. Olivia Zurcher Location: Ellensburg, Washington Favorite Class: Freshman Ag Biology What’s your favorite part of student teaching? My favorite part of student teaching is getting to know my students. Each of them come from different backgrounds and are interested in so many different things. It is fun to recognize what their likes and dislikes are and use that when teaching them material in class. Samantha Jo Sims Location: Tonasket, Washington Favorite Class: Freshman Ag Sc