Author: Neal Fandek

Keith Dietzschold smiling, wearing a light purple plaid shirt and a white apron, stands against a plain gray background.

Creating a Ripple Effect

Keith Dietzschold is proving one drop of education can have far-reaching ripples. He serves as the state director of agriculture, food and natural resources for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE); the state advisor to the Professional Agriculture Students (PAS) organization; and Missouri’s FFA advisor. Because of […]

Solving The Ag Educator Shortage

The agriculture and natural resources industries are arguably among America’s most productive and foundational sectors. A strong educational system is a key contributor to the country’s success in agriculture. However, there’s a growing concern: There aren’t enough teachers to prepare the next generation of agricultural educators in Missouri or across […]

A group of nine people, wearing casual jeans and jackets, stand in front of a large agricultural machine at an indoor event. They pose for the photo with smiles. The setting appears industrial with exposed beams and concrete flooring.

Teaching Life Skills

In the far reaches of northwest Missouri, there’s an FFA program where students operate two full greenhouses, an 8-acre row crop farm raising corn and soybeans, and a 3-acre livestock farm. This organization has two, 300-gallon tanks to raise catfish and tilapia and an aquaponics system that uses water from […]

Three people smiling and holding framed photographs and certificates proudly represent Boonville FFA. The person on the left wears a black vest, the middle one dons a blue suit, and the person on the right sports a denim jacket, all standing against a plain wall.

Setting an Example: Boonville FFA

Not every student gets to take classes with the president. President of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE), that is, a role Deanna Schnuck, agricultural education instructor and FFA advisor for the Boonslick Technical Education Center, recently added to an already impressive resume. The center is part of the […]

Two men proudly hold a sign reading Missouri High School BBQ Association 2022 1st Place Ribs at an Osceola event. The man on the left sports a green plaid shirt, while the man on the right dons a camo jacket. Behind them, a yellow wall and counter set the scene.

Project-Baste Learning

Osceola students win national BBQ championship. National champion. That’s something few Missouri FFA chapters achieve. National food champion. That’s something no Missouri FFA chapter has ever achieved until the Osceola High School FFA BBQ team, directed by Charles (“Chuck”) Simpson, did so at the World Food Championship in Dallas in […]

A group of people, mostly students in matching dark blue jackets, pose in rows inside a church with two large circular stained glass designs on the walls. A man in a light shirt stands to the left. The setting is bright and formal.

Unconventional Lessons Prepare Slater FFA Students for the Future

Becoming an agricultural education instructor and FFA advisor at Slater (Mo.) High School was a no-brainer for Zach Crews. His father, Paul Crews, was a Slater schools agricultural education instructor and FFA advisor for more than 20 years and a Slater high school principal for seven. His father even had […]

Two people are observing animals in a pen. One person is wearing a blue face mask and a white shirt, while the other wears a jacket. There is straw on the ground, and a pig can be seen in the background.

Elsberry FFA Emphasizes Diverse Ag Experiences

“There’s a little bit of everything for any type of personality or interest group,” ag teacher Sarah Ray said of the Elsberry (Mo.) FFA Chapter, which she leads with Jason Vandivort. That may be an understatement. Elsberry FFA students have one of the widest ranges of hands-on learning opportunities, which […]

Three people stand indoors. Two men hold framed certificates with gold seals and red, white, and blue ribbons. A woman stands between them, wearing a dark blazer and a white blouse. They appear to be at an official event.

What role does FFA have in the 21st Century?

Jason Dieckhoff and Marshall Streit teach ag at the Cass Career Center in Harrisonville, Mo. The center, which draws about 120 ag students from five area high schools, has had great success. Neither teacher likes to boast, though maybe they should. The two were named Harrisonville Community Teachers of the […]

A group of people on stage wearing blue jackets and smiling. One person holds a trophy. A blue backdrop with diagonal stripes is behind them.

Paris FFA Named Top Chapter in America

The Paris (Mo.) FFA chapter won the National Model of Excellence, the award for the top chapter in the country, at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis in October 2021. How do you become No. 1 among nearly 9,000 chapters? By going beyond teaching basic ag and science, bake and […]

A group of young people and an adult pose for a selfie in a crowded indoor setting. Some wear navy jackets with yellow embroidered emblems. Two individuals wear paper hats with multicolored ears. They are all smiling.

Tapping into a Historic Rivalry to Fund FFA Activities

Brookfield wins! Brookfield FFA, that is. The prize: a cowbell. Not just any cowbell; the FFA version of the Bell Game prize. The annual Bell Game, between the high school football teams of Brookfield, Mo., and nearby Marceline, is one of the oldest sports rivalries in America. It is called […]

Making the Leap

Smithfield Foods and Roeslein Alternative Energy Partnership Turns Waste into Energy Concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, have been in the news lately for a variety of reasons. Can these operations be sustainable, create good jobs and benefit the environment, too? Critics would say, “When pigs fly.” A joint venture […]

A man in a cowboy hat shakes hands with a younger man in a blue jacket at an indoor event. The younger man holds a plaque, and they both smile. Other people are visible in the background.

Beefing Up Learning

More than half the students at Ash Grove High School are food insecure. That’s a shocking figure for Lawrence County, Missouri’s top county for beef cattle. It’s especially astonishing considering southwest Missouri is among the leading cattle production areas in the country, and the Show-Me State is home to the […]

Author: Neal Fandek

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