Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber, and natural resources systems.

Vision and Mission

Agricultural education is a systematic program of instruction available to students desiring to learn about the science, business, and technology of plant and animal production and/or about the environmental and natural resources systems. Agricultural education first became a part of the public education system in 1917 when the U.S. Congress passed the Smith-Hughes Act. Today, over 800,000 students participate in formal agricultural education instructional programs offered in grades seven through adult throughout the 50 states and three U.S. territories.

Ag Ed Vision: Agricultural education envisions a world where all people value and understand the vital role of agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems in advancing personal and global well-being.

Ag Ed Mission: Agricultural education prepares students for successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resources systems.

Professional Organizations

National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) - A federation of state agricultural educators associations with more than 9,000 members involved in school-based agricultural education at any level from middle school through postsecondary, and state and national agricultural education leadership. The governing body of the organization consists of a board of directors with a president, president elect and six regional vice presidents who are all educators elected by their peers. NAAE also employs a small staff to carry out administrative and communications functions.

Iowa Association of Agricultural Educators (IAAE) - An organization for professional educators in agriculture at the secondary and postsecondary level in Iowa. The organization serves 374 instructors in 300 secondary and postsecondary agricultural education programs across Iowa. The IAAE vision is to be the premier organization for advancing agricultural education and their mission is to foster a network of professionals that values and supports the advancement of agricultural education. The Iowa Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for IAAE as a service to local agricultural, food, and natural resources programs. IAAE members are also members of the Iowa Association of Career and Technical Education (IACTE).

Standards and Benchmarks

Agricultural Education Standards and Benchmarks

Regional Planning Partnerships (RPP): Background, Myths and Best Practices – Recorded 1/15/19. A webinar recording explaining the RPPs more thoroughly, their functions and responsibilities and exploring some myths that have been created.