Agriculture is big business in Montana, with a value of $4.49 billion in agriculture sector production in 2020, according to a statistic published by the National Agriculture Statistics Services. In Montana school districts Ag Education is vital for sustained education and promotion and helps students develop real world skills. In a recent article in the Yellowstone County News, former Roundup Ag teacher and FFA advisor Lindsey Harper stated she grew Roundup's program from 25 students to 40, and taught them useful skills such as "welding, woodworking, animal science, and horticulture". Whether a student pursues a career directly in agriculture or a subsidiary of the industry, the skills they learned in this high school class will absolutely benefit them in life. Radio host Taylor Brown mentioned on the Northern Ag Networks radio program- "ag related jobs account for 23% of all jobs", and students learn valuable, real life applications of mathematics, science, business, communications, and marketing, among other traits. According to the Montana FFA website, in 2020 there were 99 chapters of the Future Farmers of America program, serving 4,830 student members. With 26, 900 farms and ranches dotting the vast landscapes of Montana, hopefully the agriculture communities will continue to be served and promoted. I hope this local school district promotes and highlights the successes of their ag program with the same finesse they do the athletic teams. I appreciated Mrs. Harpers educational values and her promotion of success for the students charged with her guide. Her successor has inherited a strong, successful program with student and parent support. Hopefully the new educator will also have unwavering support from the District and Administration and not have to feel second best.
Gary Van Dyke
Roundup
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