Arkansas Ag in the Classroom

The Ag Youth Leadership Summit (AYLS) was held this week at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. AYLS is an event for incoming high school juniors and seniors. Twenty students set out to explore ag careers, leadership workshops and local ag operations. Students learned about crawfish farming, cattle genetics, a cannulated steer, meat processing, teamwork, futures in ag, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, and life on campus at SAU.
Friendly competition between teams with ag trivia, a pool tourney and a discussion meet kept the students on their toes.
And, a $500 scholarship was awarded to the camper of the week as chosen by the counselors.

Does your school have a school garden? $1,000 is up for grabs from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Farm to School Program!!

Does your school have a garden or plans to start one? There’s still time to enter the 2026 Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest! Schools, early childhood education centers, and alternative learning environments are encouraged to apply, and the deadline to enter is June 26. You could win up to $1,000 to support your garden.

Enter today: https://www.cognitoforms.com/ArkansasAgriculture1/_2026ArkansasGrownSchoolGardenOfTheYearContest

Did you know that 1 in 7 jobs in Arkansas are directly or indirectly connected to the agriculture sector generating roughly $10.9 billion in wages? Discover careers in agriculture! Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

Learn About Careers in Agriculture, Free Classroom Learning Activity Create a “go fish” card game using careers from the nine ag career focus areas

Teaching about agriculture in science class is fun, especially when it involves pancakes! 🥞

Thank you teachers for all that you do for students!

Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

🎉 Big congratulations to our young artists! The 2026 Arkansas Ag in the Classroom Kids Art Contest finalists are officially announced! 🎨✨
Over 200 pieces of artwork were received! There were two categories, Category 1: K-6th grade; Category 2: 7th-12th grade. See the names of the talented artists in the comments!
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

Teachers! Check out this opportunity to enhance your curriculum with ag!

What does agriculture have to do with your classroom? More than you might think! 🌾

Educators sometimes assume agricultural subjects are best left within ag programs, but Extension educator Ashlyn Ussery wants to change that.

She's inviting teachers, administrators, and parents to the Agriculture Across All Curriculum Showcase on May 12 to see how agriculture connects to math, science, career & technology, and MORE. The event will include tours of the classroom, kitchen, and greenhouse at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Harrisburg, AR.

No registration required and free to attend!

When: May 12, 2026 | 4 - 6 PM
Where: 15327 AR Hwy 1, Harrisburg, AR 72432

Read more about the upcoming showcase here: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2026/april/04-20-2026-ark-ag-curriculum-showcase.aspx

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the 2026 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, "Illuminating Agriculture"!

Join us in Providence, Rhode Island, June 22-25, 2026, for the premier professional development event for pre-K through 12th grade teachers, volunteers, and professionals in agricultural literacy.

Conference registration includes teacher professional development workshops, delicious meals, a traveling workshop experience into Rhode Island's and Massachusetts's agriculture industry, networking and resource sharing with fellow educators and industry experts in agriculture and education, optional tours, and more!

Register today at https://agclassroom.org/conference/.