Posted: 06.27.2011

The summer meeting for over 280 agriculture educators in Green Bay doesn't have the same atmosphere it might have held last year.

Sunday, Wisconsin Governor, Scott Walker, confirmed what many in the audience have been preparing for since spring - less money to work with come this fall, and even less potentially next year.  Still, attitudes are upbeat, and there's a tremendous amount of sharing going on from one table to another - one seminar to another. 

Marty Nowak, Luxemburg-Casco agriculture instructor and current president of WAAE (WI Association of Agricultural Educators) said it's been challenging to keep up with all the changes on the state scene and still support those members that are at risk.  His message has been to encourage more agriculture advocates to step up and take an active role in supporting their local teachers.  Nowak said that includes consumers that don't think of themselves as really being involved in the ag education process, "We produce the food that they depend on,"  he told Pam Jahnke during an interview at the KI Center where the function continues through Wednesday.  "We enjoy some of the lowest food prices in the world,"  Nowak continued, "If that's going to continue - we need to keep a constant, qualified supply of employees in the pipeline to keep agriculture growing."

Paul Larson, chairman of the WI Ag Education and Workforce Development Council - and an agriculture instructor himself, said that he uses examples to motivate students in where their career may take them in agriculture.  "Once you show them what they could end up doing,"  he says, "the excitement takes it from there."

During the first day of activities, the WAEWD Council held its board meeting and announced grant recipients.  Larson said applications were doubled this year over last for the available funds.  He said the hope of the foundation is that they'll be able to secure more funding for the grant period in 2012.

The agriculture departments awarded grants include:

$500 - WI Heights School
$500 - Elkhart Lake - Glen Beulah Schools

$250 - Waterford High School
$250 - Manawa High School
$250 - Lodi High School
$250 - Wonewoc Center School

Two $250 awards were also presented to two post-secondary programs - Fox Valley Technical College and Lakeshore Technical College.

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