National AG in the Classroom Conference Expierence
First off, I’d like to thank Michigan Farm Bureau for the opportunity to attend this incredible conference.
Nearly 600 educators from across the country came together with one goal in mind: learning how to bring agriculture into the classroom. These educators included classroom teachers, program directors, independent educators, 4-H leaders, and more.
Each breakout session block offered 10 different options to choose from, allowing attendees to tailor their experience based on personal interests and grade levels. The mini sessions also had 10 options and were repeated three, making it easier to attend more of what mattered most.
On Tuesday, attendees also had the chance to participate in one of 12 traveling workshop tours, offering real-world agricultural experiences across the region.
Tuesday got off to an easy start with breakfast, a breakout session, and then our traveling tours.
I attended a session called Let’s Get Popping for Science, where we explored how to my calculate the percent yield of a batch of popcorn and determine the percent composition of water in a popcorn kernel. I’ll be honest—it was a little beyond both my comprehension and the level of the students I typically work with, but it was still an interesting concept!
During the tour portion, I had the opportunity to visit the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. One of the highlights was learning about Kernza—a perennial grain they’re currently studying and growing. The long-term goal is for Kernza to eventually produce yields similar to wheat, with added environmental benefits.
I also had the chance to connect with some incredible people during the tour. I sat with a woman from Louisiana and later met another from Minnesota—both of whom were super cool! We swapped stories, shared experiences, and I walked away with new friendships and a better understanding of agriculture in both of their states.
That evening, the Michigan group went to Hell’s Kitchen for dinner. Their smash burgers? Absolutely phenomenal.
Wednesday was jam-packed—and exhausting in the best of ways.
I started the day with a breakout session called Milk, Sugar, Science: Engineering Ice Cream. It was hands-on and interactive, filled with games, questions, and of course—ice cream making! I can’t wait to bring this lesson to my students.
Another highlight of the day was meeting author Shannon Anderson, who was at the conference signing books. It was such a treat to connect with her in person!
My second session was Growing Readers and Harvesting Success for Your School’s February “I Love to Read Month.” It focused on how one elementary teacher transformed her school’s reading month into a celebration of agriculture, with themed weeks, dress-up days, special visitors, and even a farm equipment parade. I had actually connected with the presenter the day before (shoutout to Marie and her amazing corn earrings), and I left completely inspired by how her school supports and celebrates ag literacy.
After lunch, I attended Piecing Agriculture Together with Barn Quilts. While I’m not sure how to adapt this lesson for elementary students, it would be a great fit for high schoolers or adult workshops. Fun fact: barn quilts date back to the Revolutionary War and were used as symbols to help American forces locate places offering supplies—and even a place to sleep! We each got to paint a 12”x12” barn quilt piece to take home.
Next up was It’s Not a Hay Day, It’s AG Day, which explored how one teacher brought a full AG Day experience to her school. This session hit close to home since I chair the committee that hosts AG Day at our county fairgrounds. It’s always exciting to see how other schools tackle challenges like transportation and still pull off successful events.
I also attended Putting the Literacy in AG, another reading-month-themed session. This one featured a twist: an annual author competition for upper elementary and middle school students. Winners get their stories illustrated and published—how amazing would it be to become a published author at just 10 years old?!
One session that was super interesting was Full STEAM Ahead. It focused entirely on cotton and how one teacher integrates STEAM and agriculture in creative, cross-curricular ways. Even though cotton isn’t a Michigan commodity, the ideas got my wheels turning about how to do something similar with our local crops.
Are you tired yet? Because we weren’t done!
We wrapped up the evening with a reception, banquet, and a fundraiser bingo event themed “Going to the Lake.” And I’m happy to report—I won a round of bingo!
Thursday morning was a bit of a drag—it took some serious motivation to get out of bed. Thankfully, Minnesota is only one hour behind Michigan, but I was still feeling the exhaustion. Then I met several people from Hawaii who were operating on a five-hour time difference—suddenly I didn’t feel so tired!
The highlight of breakfast was the announcement of the Farmers 2050 competition winners. The top program received a $1,000 prize—and I’m incredibly giddy to share that Michigan took first place! We also got a sneak peek at the 2026 Ag in the Classroom Conference, which will be held in Rhode Island.
My first session of the day was Agriculture Immersion, which focused on keeping chickens and hatching eggs in the classroom. I especially enjoyed meeting the presenter’s classroom Silkie and learning about the resources she shares with her students to deepen their understanding.
Next was Agriculture Story Baskets, where we explored how teachers bring books to life by creating themed baskets to accompany them. This would make such a fun bundle for teachers—paired with an agriculturally accurate book, it would be a fantastic classroom resource!
Find Your People! Building Community Among Agricultural Literacy Educators was another breakout session that stood out. It highlighted how Wisconsin has built an Educator Ambassador Team—a network of elementary, middle, and high school teachers who are actively growing ag literacy programs across the state.
To wrap up my conference experience, I attended United States of Authors—Connecting Authors and Agriculture in Your Classroom. This session highlighted a range of agriculture-themed books by authors from Minnesota and across the country. It was a perfect way to end a week filled with connection, creativity, and curriculum.
Reflections
If (hopefully when) I get to attend another National Ag in the Classroom Conference, I’ll definitely try to book my hotel earlier to stay at the host hotel. While the Holiday Inn Express I stayed at was nice, the half-mile walk—especially after long days—got pretty exhausting.
I’d also love to see elementary teachers from my district attend in the future. It would be a great way to inspire more teachers to incorporate agriculture into their classrooms. As for me, I’ll continue promoting, educating, and working with students—and I’m genuinely excited to bring everything I’ve learned back to my county.
I would try to connect and plan with other Michigan attendees before travel day. Thankfully, a few teachers flew in on a different flight that arrived around the same time as mine, and we were able to share an Uber to the hotel.
One decision that ended up working out well—I booked an extra night at the hotel. I didn’t know the host hotel offered luggage storage after checkout, so I played it safe. In the end, it gave me time to sort through everything I picked up at the conference, regroup, and rest before flying home. Honestly, I’d do that again!
