The Daviess County Farm Bureau held its 103rd annual meeting Thursday evening at Reid’s Orchard, bringing together local farmers, community members, and elected officials for an evening of fellowship, recognition, and discussion about the future of agriculture in Kentucky.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell were among the guests, speaking about the All In for Ag Education initiative they are partnering on to expand agriculture lessons in Kentucky schools.
Shell said the collaboration began in January 2024 as a way for the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and the Department of Agriculture to combine their expertise in education and agriculture.
“We do a really good job in high school, an okay job in middle school, but we do a poor job, really as a whole, in elementary school,” Shell said. “What we wanted to do is take a concerted effort across the state of Kentucky to where at least once a year — we’re trying to do two a year — we have a dedicated Ag Education Week in the spring and one in the fall.”
The program provides lesson plans and resources that match state academic standards so teachers can incorporate agriculture into math, science, reading, and other subjects without adding extra work. Shell said 60% of Kentucky’s elementary schools participated in the first Ag Education Week in March. The next week is scheduled for September 14-19.
The initiative also partners with local FFA chapters to give future ag educators classroom experience.
“We have an opportunity for them to take three different lessons … and teach a lesson just as if they were the teacher themselves, giving them some workforce training for later on in life,” Shell said.
Coleman previously told Kentucky Farm Bureau that the initiative is a bipartisan effort focused on providing opportunities for every student.
“When you have two people from different parties coming together, it’s because the issue is bigger than politics,” she said. “We have the opportunity to connect our kids with what I think is the most important industry in the state.”
Farm Bureau President Wally Taylor said the annual meeting is an important time for members to gather, conduct business, and hear from state leaders. The evening included a meal prepared by the Daviess County Pork Producers and the recognition of longtime agriculture supporters.
This year’s honorees included broadcaster Jeff Nalley, who will be inducted into the Kentucky Broadcasters Hall of Fame in September. Farm Bureau also recognized its Outstanding Young Legislative Advocate, an award given to youth who take an active interest in agricultural policy.
Taylor said the event is as much about community as it is about policy.
“This is our time to get together once a year for an annual meeting,” he said. “It’s also an opportunity to hear about what’s going on in agriculture, not just here, but across the state.”
More information about the All In for Ag Education initiative — including resources for educators — is available at kyagr.com.
