Joplin FFA Brings Ag Lessons to Elementary Classroom
Joplin FFA members are teaching Agriculture Education on the Move lessons at Soaring Heights Elementary this fall.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Primary Education
FFA partner educators are teaching Agriculture Education on the Move lessons to students at Soaring Heights Elementary in Joplin. The program is reaching more than 5,800 elementary students across Missouri this fall.
Why it matters
The lessons introduce young students to agriculture topics such as crops, livestock, soil and water conservation, nutrition and career paths. The curriculum aligns with Missouri elementary learning standards and is provided at no cost to participating schools.
The 10-week hands-on program is supported by a Missouri Farmers Care coalition of 40 agricultural groups. Ag Moves partner educators engaged 13,682 elementary students during the 2025-26 school year, while more than 5,800 students are being reached this fall.
The players
Missouri Farmers Care Foundation
A Missouri nonprofit that provides the Ag Moves curriculum at no cost to participating schools and coordinates a coalition of agricultural groups.
Missouri FFA
The state chapter of the national Future Farmers of America organization, whose members serve as partner educators for the Ag Moves program.
The details
Trained FFA partner educators teach hands-on Ag Moves lessons in classrooms, with each lesson connecting material to food, fuel and fiber. Many Ag Moves educators are Missouri FFA members, and partner training days were held in Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Maryville and Springfield.
Timeline
During the 2025-26 school year, Ag Moves partner educators engaged 13,682 elementary students across Missouri.
This fall, Ag Moves lessons are reaching more than 5,800 elementary students statewide, including the Joplin classroom at Soaring Heights Elementary.
Culture Shift
The Ag Moves program, run by the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation, reflects a growing effort to reconnect elementary students with food and farming as urban and suburban families grow further from agricultural work. Its reach of more than 13,000 students in a single school year shows how state-coordinated classroom partnerships are expanding that connection.
Students at Soaring Heights Elementary are getting hands-on lessons on crops, livestock and nutrition without any cost to the school. Families in Joplin may hear about agriculture career paths their children explore in class.
The takeaway
Hands-on lessons that connect classroom subjects to food, fuel and fiber give students a practical view of where their food comes from. Parents and teachers interested in similar programs can check whether their school already participates through the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation.
Further reading
For more on classroom learning in the region, explore Primary Education coverage.
More information
See the list of schools receiving Ag Moves this fall for participating classrooms.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newstalk KZRG.
