Myers Elementary School students (from left) Cayden Grager, Nicolee Lovrich, Jacob Evans and Peyton Williams check out their recently planted seeds during an agriculture lesson. Mirror photo by Gary M. Baranec

A piece of legislation that became law some 100 years ago laid the groundwork for today’s modern agricultural education programs.

The Smith-Hughes National Vocational Education Act of 1917 was an act of Congress that promoted vocational agriculture to train people “who have entered upon or who are preparing to enter upon the work of the farm,” and provided federal funds for this purpose.

The bill signed Feb. 23, 1917, by President Woodrow Wilson would eventually lead to agriculture programs cropping up in high schools across the country. It also would lead to the creation of Future Farmers of America, now called FFA.

Agricultural education has been important and remains so today.

“Vocational agriculture programs allow for young people to have the opportunity to explore interests in a variety of areas that all share a part in feeding the world. It is a great opportunity for students to try a little bit of a lot of variety spanning from agribusiness to public speaking to animal and plant science to agricultural mechanics and welding,” said Mitchell Persun, agriculture science teacher at Chestnut Ridge High School.

“Less people have an agrarian background and are removed from producing the food and fiber that is needed by our growing world. It is important that those involved with agriculture are able to educate others about what is involved with providing the items we need on a daily basis,” said Matthew Webreck, agriculture science instructor and FFA adviser at Bellwood-Antis High School.

It is important to teach people that agriculture is more than farming, said Myken Poorman, vocational agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Bellefonte Area High School.

“People don’t know where their food comes from anymore and what’s worse is they don’t care. Just because someone ‘isn’t into agriculture’ doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have an appreciation for where their products come from and how conservation is a key component in agriculture. People need to understand the impact that buying from local producers can have on their very own community. They also need to understand the impact of agriculture globally. Agriculture encompasses conservation, the environment, animals, business and marketing, sustainability … and so much more,” Poorman said.

With the world population expected to exceed 9 billion by the year 2050, ag education will continue to be important.

“Agriculture will need to be more efficient and be able to produce more food with much less resources and land. Agricultural education is needed to train the future farmers, engineers, food scientists, animal scientists, botanists, mechanics, etc., who will meet this challenge. U.S. agriculture is a global enterprise that helps meet food demands in our country and around the world. Our country’s security and future will depend on the ability to feed ourselves and those who depend upon us,” said Thomas Ritchey agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Central High School.

Agriculture education has changed over the years.

“The original focus of the FFA and vocational agriculture was to strictly train future farmers. The teachers who started these programs developed a great framework to train our youth. I’m really impressed with the contributions of the older teachers who worked hard to establish the agriculture programs in the local schools. Their impact is still felt today, long after their retirement. Today’s programs address more of the broad range of agriculture careers. Another interesting change is the number of girls who take part in our programs,” Ritchey said.

Vo-ag began with the truest fundamentals of the daily tasks of farming.

“When students enrolled in the program, they were learning to become a farmer. It is now a much wider range of topics to suit the agriculture industry. Students are exposed to a much broader range of topics, with a significant impact on technology, agribusiness, and business leadership,” Persun said.

The influx and use of technology on a daily basis is probably the biggest change.

“With the knowledge gained through technology, agriculture has become more efficient at producing more with using less inputs,” Webreck said.

Agricultural education has evolved from a vocational education role to an agriscience role for the teacher, said Kristy Meyer, communications manager of the National FFA Organization.

“Today, STEM based principles are taught in the context of agriculture. The three-component model of agricultural education is fundamental to the success of the program. The classroom provides the knowledge and technical skills; experiential learning via supervised agricultural experiences provides the practical and hands-on application; and, leadership development, personal growth and career success tools provided by FFA makes for a very dynamic response in our members when it all comes together,” Meyer said.

Joel Rotz, manager of government affairs and communications for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said it has been 45 years since he was in the vocational agriculture education program in high school.

“The common thread I see in what can be gained by students in the vo-ag program that has remain unchanged in the past 45 years is the life skills students learn in being responsible for production projects and all that entails. I can think of no educational experience outside of vo-ag that taught me more about responsibility and leadership. I can think of nothing more important for young people to possess in meeting life with success than taking responsibility and leadership seriously,” Rotz said.

Future Farmers of America was founded in 1928.

Enrollment has increased over the years and currently there are more than 500,000 FFA members in the United States and more than 12,000 in Pennsylvania.

“In today’s world, it’s important that our students have skills that they can use in the workplace. FFA allows students to have on hands-on learning experiences. We strive for our students to achieve premier leadership, personal growth and career success in our organization. With more than 235 unique careers in agriculture, we are striving to prepare them for the future. Our vision is that through FFA and agricultural education we are growing leaders who can build their communities and strengthen agriculture,” Meyer said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.