Representatives present bills to expand elementary agriculture education statewide; DESE collaboration amendment offered

Representatives John Martin (state representative, District 44) and Plank presented House Bills 2097 and 1905 to expand an elementary agriculture education pilot program statewide, saying participation would be voluntary and administered through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Martin told the committee the pilot began before the COVID-19 pandemic, ran three years and that many districts have since used the curriculum and local partners to deliver instruction. ‘‘It was a successful pilot program,’’ Martin said, and he emphasized the bills would make the program available to any district that opts in rather than creating a mandate.

Martin offered an amendment to add language requiring DESE’s elementary agriculture education program to work “in conjunction and collaboration with Missouri agricultural commodity groups and organizations that promote and support Missouri agriculture,” a change sponsors said would help districts use existing curricula and trainers and reduce the fiscal impact on the department.

Multiple witnesses testified in support. Lira Noss, a garden educator at the Southern Boone Learning Garden, described a long-running district program that now includes 40 raised beds, hoop houses, a classroom added in 2020 and monthly classroom visits, saying the district reaches roughly 850 students. ‘‘This program is hands on. It’s immersive,’’ Noss told the committee, and she urged lawmakers to expand access so districts without local resources can implement similar programs.

Student participant Gannon Seyer, a Southern Boone High School junior and FFA chapter officer, said early exposure to agriculture education encouraged his FFA leadership and practical learning experiences and recommended broader availability.

Heather Fletcher, program director for Agriculture Education on the Move (a program of Missouri Farmers Care), said her group delivers 10 lessons aligned to state standards and served about 13,600 elementary students last year; she described the program as ‘‘free of charge for any participating school’’ and said Missouri Farmers Care can partner with DESE and FFA interns to provide classroom educators.

Other supporting witnesses included representatives of the Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri NEA, the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and the Missouri Soybean Association; they described curriculum resources, local partnerships and benefits for student nutrition awareness, science learning and future workforce pipelines.

Perry Goral, chief of governmental relations for DESE, testified for informational purposes and said the department has shared the pilot report with sponsors. Goral noted implementation will look different across urban and rural districts and that DESE’s fiscal request includes funding for a staff position at a Regional Professional Development Center (RPDC) to coordinate implementation and partner with commodity groups.

The committee heard questions from members about urban applicability, teacher capacity and whether the amendment would require districts to work with commodity groups; sponsors and witnesses said districts would retain choice and could adopt curriculum or utilize visiting educators and local partners. No formal vote was taken; the hearing concluded with the amendment on the table and the record left open for further consideration.

The committee adjourned the HB 2097/HB 1905 portion of the hearing and moved to other business.