The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) has awarded 118 Agriculture in the Classroom teacher supplement grants to educators in 50 Iowa counties, supporting hands-on, agriculture-based learning for students across the state. The grants provide up to $200 per project for new or expanded initiatives that help students better understand food, farming, and natural resources. Projects integrate agriculture into the classroom and after-school learning through lessons, instructional materials, guest speakers, field trips, and real-world applications. About half of this year’s recipients are receiving IALF funding for the first time, reflecting the program’s continued expansion. Some examples of classroom programs supported by these grants are student visits to greenhouses or cooking labs using locally sourced ingredients. Other projects will introduce students to topics such as farm robotics, crop and animal lifecycles, pollinators and ecosystems, renewable energy, aquaponics, culinary and nutrition education, agricultural history, and egg hatching. Local recipients include Amy Madsen at Carroll High School, Gene McBride at Kuemper’s St. Lawrence Center, and Angelic Henningson at Schaller-Crestland Elementary in Sac County.
