"Grow With Us Initiative Seeks to Enhance Agricultural Education Throughout Indiana"

HAMILTON COUNTY — At Hamilton Southeastern High School, students have the opportunity to explore agriculture through a hands-on greenhouse program. However, many students perceive agricultural careers as limited to traditional farming.

"I just viewed it as a club for farmers,” said Dupree Henry, a junior at HSE and a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA). “However, I soon realized it's not at all that. It's more so a club of diversity is how I like to put it."

Dupree's journey began when he enrolled in an agriculture principles class during his freshman year. Initially hesitant about joining the FFA, he quickly discovered that the organization offered much more than conventional farming knowledge.

"It has introduced me to a whole bunch of different careers,” Henry shared. “That has made choosing a career much easier and has helped me narrow down what I want to do specifically."

Currently, Indiana boasts around 240 FFA chapters, serving approximately 15,000 students statewide. The national FFA organization has launched the Grow With Us Initiative aimed at expanding agricultural education across Indiana.

"Whether schools already have a program or they don't currently have an agriculture program,” explained Ambra Tennery, Associate Director of Educational Programs at FFA, “Grow With Us is something for everyone to learn about the opportunities in AG education while also getting resources and information."

This initiative emphasizes that agricultural careers extend beyond traditional farming roles; there are also numerous STEM and business opportunities available in this field.

"It's really in demand for individuals to come into this industry that might not have ever even thought about agriculture before,” Tennery added.