By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Members of the West Platte FFA Chapter will be planting seeds of knowledge for students at West Platte Elementary through a statewide program.
Agriculture on the Move is an educational program run through Missouri Farmers Care.
Program Director Heather Fletcher says the program helps students understand better where their food comes from.
"And how their everyday lives are connected to Missouri agriculture," Fletcher tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "We're a state so rich in agriculture and it surrounds us no matter what part of the state we live in that we feel like helping that next generation of consumers and those young minds connect to what's going on all around them in the state is a really worthwhile endeavor."
Fletcher says while they do have their own teachers, they've seen success in teaching local FFA students to lead the course.
"We're reaching the third graders but then these high school students are getting amazing experience too in communication, leadership, and also maybe identifying a path that would lead them to the classroom in the future," Fletcher explains.
Fletcher says through the 10-course program they cover a wide range of topics
"We have a few lessons on crop production, we talk about soybeans and corn production specifically, and then also kind of touch on how diverse Missouri is as far as crops grown throughout the state," Fletcher says. "When you look at the bootheel all the way up to northwest Missouri there's a lot of diversity there, so we cover all of those."
Fletcher says they also cover livestock production, soil and water conservation, nutrition, and even introduce students to how the supply chain works.
Along with each course also comes a STEM project, giving students the opportunity to also get hands on experience with what they are learning.