Principles of Agriculture Education Introduction to Agriculture AAEC – Paradise Valley Fall 2014

What is Agriculture Education? Agricultural education is a program of instruction available to students desiring to learn about the science, business, technology of plant and animal production and/or about the environmental and natural resources systems. Also referred to as Ag Ed.

Components of Ag Ed

Instruction – Provides textbook learning (classroom) and “hands on” experiences (laboratory) that’s tied to the real world

Components of Ag Ed SAE – Supervised agricultural experiences; provides the chance to explore the areas of agriculture that the student finds interesting outside of the classroom – especially career interests

Components of Ag Ed FFA - The national organization for the students who are enrolled in agricultural studies – through participation in FFA, students develop leadership skills, prepare for career success, and experience personal growth

Agriculture History Agricultural policy: Laws that the federal government pass to help agriculture

Agriculture Policy Morrill Act (or Land Grant Act) –Proposed by Senator Justin Morrill (Vermont) –Provided public land and funds for universities to teach practical methods of manufacturing and food/fiber production. –Passed in 1862

Ag Policy Homestead Act –Granted free land to individuals who settled and cultivated land for a set time (7 yrs) –Also passed in 1862

Ag Policy Establishment of the USDA –In 1862, President Lincoln signed into law a bill that established the USDA –USDA: United States Department of Agriculture –Government agency that oversees agricultural policy and protects the agricultural interests of the U.S. (i.e. producers support, production method standards, information dissemination, food safety)

Ag Policy Hatch Act –Intended to give a more scientific basis to crop and animal production –Passed in 1887 –Authorized the establishment of experiment stations in all the states with land grant colleges – government support of research

Ag Policy Smith Lever Act –Passed in 1914 –Founded the Cooperative Extension Service –Completed a system known as the Land Grant Concept, which held that the purpose of the Land Grant universities was to teach, conduct research, and carry the new information to people through the extension service.

Ag Policy Smith Hughes Act –Passed in 1917 –Established vocational agriculture in the public high schools to teach new methods of agriculture to students that would be returning to the farm –Vocational: Being trained in a skill or trade to be pursued as a career