Teachers Dig Into Agriculture During Summer Institute

By Lydia East

Summer smiles stretched wide as teachers came together for Alabama Ag in the Classroom (AITC) Summer Institute June 10-12 in Prattville. Through hands-on activities, fun-filled farm tours and classroom workshops, educators spent three days learning new ways to incorporate agriculture in their classrooms.

Savanna Dutton teaches agriscience across grade levels at Fairview Elementary School and said AITC resources are a staple.

"The ag literacy matrix is an essential resource in my classroom," said the Cullman County educator. "My kids love it, and it gives them knowledge about agriculture they wouldn't know otherwise. Ag encompasses so much of what we already teach, like math and science, except it's new and exciting - for kids and teachers."

Teachers also forged connections with farmers across the River Region during tours.

One stop was Poague's Tree Farm & Nursery, full of beautiful greenery and blooming flowers in Elmore County.

Farmer Scott Poague is also an agriscience teacher at Elmore County High School and said he was excited to welcome Alabama teachers to his farm. He emphasized the importance of AITC and the benefit of educators implementing agricultural skills.

"This conference gets teachers out of the classroom and on the farm so they can see what's happening in the world of agriculture," said Poague, who serves on the Alabama Farmers Federation State Greenhouse, Nursery & Sod Committee. "Teachers get the opportunity to take back what they have learned and put a spark in students' minds. That's the first step of getting them involved."

Teachers also visited Blue Ribbon Dairy in Elmore County to learn about milk; enjoyed lunch at the Alabama Wildlife Federation NaturePlex in Millbrook; and stopped by Priester's Pecans in Lowndes County to see pecan production from tree to treat.

During the conference, teachers were inspired by speakers such as Sam Yu, who owns Zizi's Bee Co., a mobile bee lab.

"It doesn't matter what kids do, as long as they get involved with agriculture," Yu said. "You don't have to reinvent the wheel if it has already been invented."

Teachers enjoyed hands-on activities they can implement in their classrooms. Those included churning homemade, farm-fresh strawberry ice-cream; making five-point paper stars as a tribute to the America 250 celebration; lessons on hydroponics; and Farmer on the Shelf, agriculture's take on the popular Christmas toy.

It's all about giving teachers a new perspective on agriculture, said Rachel Chastain.

Chastain teaches at Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Helen Keller School in Talladega County. A former National AITC Teacher of the Year, Chastain emphasized the importance of AITC and how this conference has shaped her as a teacher.

"I found my place here, and I want other teachers to feel that, too," said Chastain, who serves on the Federation's State Women's Leadership Committee. "I want to teach ag, but I also want to invest in children so that they have skills they can take with them for the rest of their life."

Some of the conference's most fruitful moments came from teachers connecting with one another, said Morgan County educator Kathy DeFoor.

"That's how we learn as teachers," DeFoor said. "We learn from each other."

In addition to meaningful connections, new memories and fresh ideas, teachers headed home with over $450 each in classroom resources, which included books, lesson plans and more. A handful of educators received incubators, too.

During a special presentation, Amanda Talantis was recognized as Alabama AITC Teacher of the Year and scored even more prizes for her classroom. Talantis teaches at Gulf Shores High School and will compete for the national title in 2027.

Kim Earwood chairs the AITC Steering Committee. Earwood said she's grateful the institute sparks agriculture in minds of teachers and, eventually, their students.

"AITC is always a blessing," said Earwood, also the Federation's Women's Leadership Division director. "Seeing teachers smile when they receive overflowing baskets of goodies and new information is so special. I hope teachers leave with knowledge and tools they need to start implementing agriculture in their classroom."