Grown Here at Home: NCHS ag program receives Creating Excellence Award

LOVINGSTON, Va. (WDBJ) - The agriculture teachers in Nelson County stay busy all year. Their students are learning about different facets of the industry from ag mechanics to animal science, and getting lots of hands-on experience.

“They get really excited when we plant something and then they see it through. Like, starting poinsettias out as little plug plants, and all the way until when they start turning color,” said NCHS Horticulture Teacher and FFA Advisor Margaret Seaman.

The students are also making everyday connections to agriculture.

“A lot of times, even in the rural area that we’re in, students come in with misconceptions about agriculture and it’s cool to see them really understand more about the industry and just where their everyday things come from,” explained NMS Agriculture Science Teacher and FFA Advisor Bethany Grooms.

They also stay busy with FFA.

“We’ve got great kids who work hard and who want to be involved in their school,” said NCHS Agriculture Science Teacher and FFA Advisor Cole Ramsey.

The Virginia Department of Education agrees. Nelson County High School recently received the 2022 Creating Excellence Region 5 CTE Program Award. It’s given to programs that promote excellence in career and technical education.

“CTE is a big area and the ag is not offered at every school. So, it’s really nice to see that recognized as a wonderful program,” Seaman said. That’s making an impact beyond the students’ time in the classroom.

“Probably the greatest joy that I have is watching our graduated kids come back. We have students who volunteer to coach teams who come back and help with fundraisers and things like that. And to see the impact that the program has made on them, that they still want to come back and help the next group,” Ramsey said.

And for some, it leads them to make it their career.

“The biggest reason I wanted to be an ag teacher is the impact that my ag teachers had on me, and so it’s really cool the relationship we get to develop with these students,” Grooms said.

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