Farming and agriculture education isn’t always something school districts direct enough attention to.  

The Cornell Cooperative Extension is making a push to put more educators in schools this fall through its “Agriculture in the Classroom” program.  

One student, Campbell-Savona Middle School 7th grader Mason Yarka, has already felt the impact of the program.  

For the first time, Yarka and his classmates can take a 7th grade agriculture class this semester. He's also getting lessons on the topic through the “Agriculture in the Classroom” program in Steuben County.

CCE is trying to bring more educators to classrooms across the state. Stephanie McKinley, an agriculture educator with CCE, was hired in August and visits seven school districts once a month to provide thorough lessons to kids from kindergarten to 7th grade.  

“I think it’s really important for kids to understand where their food is coming from, more than just it came from like the local grocery store.  Especially for the bigger cities who, maybe they don’t have farms just outside of their house.  So, they might not understand what’s happening and how big of an impact farms actually make,” McKinley said.  

CCE is trying to increase agriculture literacy, and their Agriculture in the Classroom program can now be found in every county in New York. Still, providing on-site educators like McKinley with hands on learning activities is something not all areas have right now.

“Her and I have talked a lot about what can we do to get more money and funding so we can get more materials and resources to take this even further. And having that support through the local Cornell Cooperative Extension has been very beneficial for us here,” said Chrissandra Palermo, a Campbell-Savona Middle School teacher.