State helps schools sow seeds to sustain farming
State's secretary of agriculture visits with AHS students

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus tours the agricultural education facilities at Allentown High School on March 20 with the school's FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) members.

ALLENTOWN - To keep agriculture thriving in New Jersey, the state wants to help schools bolster their agricultural programs and find their students jobs.

Agriculture is a significant part of New Jersey's working landscape, with 9,800 farms on about 800,000 acres. However, according to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, in the next few years 20,000 graduates from colleges of agriculture and life sciences, forestry and veterinary medicine will not be able to find job openings in the food, agricultural and natural resources fields.

"To continue to thrive, there is a great need to equip the next generation of agriculture leaders through quality high school and post-secondary agricultural education programs delivered by top-notch agricultural education teachers," New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus said. "We are working with Rutgers University on programs that will keep these students in our state so they can take jobs here."

To acknowledge the critical role agriculture plays in improving the quality of life in New Jersey and contributing positively to the state's economy, Kuperus spent National Agriculture Day on March 20 at Allentown High School (AHS) touring its agricultural education facilities and watching student demonstrations.

AHS's agricultural education program includes veterinary, equine, animal, plant and environmental science, nursery/landscape, greenhouse management/floral design, cooperative agricultural education, leadership and bioethics. Facilities include a wireless laptop lab, two classrooms, three greenhouses, agriculture mechanics and welding shops, a lathe house and other outdoor laboratories.

The school's FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) chapter has 140 members. Allentown has been one of the top three FFA chapters in the state and among the top 2 percent in the nation for 25 years. There are 37 chapters with 1,684 students in New Jersey.

AHS agricultural education teacher V. Jaque Roszel said agricultural education and the FFA provide students with both the occupational and life skills to become useful, successful members of society.

"Countless former FFA members around the state are in key leadership roles within their local communities, the state, and the nation because they gained the confidence and desire to succeed through their involvement with ag education/ FFA," he said. "I am proud to say that I am an FFA adviser and had a small part in shaping their path toward success."

Roszel and his wife, Cynthia, who is another AHS agricultural education teacher, have instructed about 5,040 students and 288 FFA officers.

Nancy Trivette, the Agricultural Education Program leader in the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, called the Roszels motivated, committed teachers who have consistently delivered quality class/lab instruction, experiential learning through supervised agricultural experiences and leadership development through FFA.

Kuperus said that Rutgers University and other college programs in New Jersey help provide a seamless path forAHS students and others to find careers in the agriculture field.

"To be able to meet the work-force demands of the industry and the need for new agricultural education teachers, we hope these programs grow and flourish in the future," he said.

Barry Jesse, the associate dean of Academic Administration at the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, said Rutgers offers a full complement of courses that prepare students for careers in agriculture or agricultural education.

"Our major degree, continuing professional education, and certificate programs reflect the diversity of agriculture in New Jersey," he said. "In addition to agricultural science and agricultural science education, students may pursue courses and training in plant breeding, landscape architecture, animal science, food industry economics, and pest control, among others."

N

ew Jersey also has post-secondary

agricultural education programs at Union County College, Ocean County College, Mercer County Community College, Camden County College, Brookdale Community College, Bergen Community College and the County College of Morris.

According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the National FFAAssociation also has a long-range strategic goal to have 10,000 agricultural science education programs serving students through an integrated model of classroom/ laboratory instruction, experiential learning and leadership and personal skill development by 2015. Further, it seeks to have all agricultural science students become members of FFA and have supervised agricultural experience that supports classroom and laboratory instruction.