Monticello High agriculture teacher reports growth in FFA membership, state and national participation

Jacob Wilts, Monticello High School agriculture teacher and FFA adviser, presented an update to the school board on Nov. 17 describing the program's recent activities and student participation.

Wilts said the chapter sent six teams and 18 students to the state convention; two teams achieved gold rankings and he noted the chapter has consistently advanced teams to state competitions ("we are 8 for 8 as a chapter on getting teams to state"). He also described summer agricultural tours to Owatonna (including the Spam Museum and a John Deere dealership) designed to expose students to regional agriculture operations.

Wilts reviewed county-fair and state-fair involvement—students competed with sheep and dairy cattle and staffed the state fair's "miracle of birth" center—and said the chapter received local media attention (Fox 9) and a visit from Mayor Hilgert. He reported current FFA membership at 31 students plus four postgraduates (35 on the roster) and compared Monticello's membership favorably to nearby programs, calling Monticello one of the larger Region 4 schools.

On classroom initiatives, Wilts said the school garden provided produce used in foods classes and demonstrations, and he announced plans to add beehives in 2026 with community partners to support the animal-science curriculum. He told the board that full-size greenhouses may be eligible for grants but are costly and often require matching or prior documented activity before awarding funds.

Board members thanked Wilts for the update and indicated they look forward to future reports.