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Women are stepping up and getting equal footing on the farm. An “Illinois Farm Girl” is a storyteller, a teacher and more. Business preserves farmers’ photographic memories. There’s more to ag classes than just learning the three F’s. By the numbers: A look at women in farming.

Farmers and photographers, teachers and technicians, landowners and livestock operators, researchers and ranch hands, mechanics and managers, planners and producers ... They’re the women of agriculture, and for the them, the industry is a wide-open field full of opportunities

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inside Publisher/Ad Director Jennifer Heintzelman Magazine editor & Page design Rusty Schrader Published by Sauk Valley Media 113 S. Peoria Ave. | Dixon, IL 61021 815-284-2222 Have a story idea for Ag Mag? Let us know ... Call 815-632-2531 or e-mail news@saukvalley.com Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Ag Mag may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

Planting seeds

Photographic memories

Katie Pratt is an “Illinois Farm Girl” who enjoys all things agriculture ... living it, learning it, and teaching it.

Equal footing Women are leveling the field on the farm, taking on an increasingly larger role in a male-dominated industry, but a recent survey reveals that there’s still room for growth

These Muddy Boots are made for talking, and they’re telling the stories of our area farms and the families who call them home.

Fields of study

By the numbers: Women in ag

There’s more to ag classes than just the 3 F’s — farms, flora and fauna — there’s math, science, geometry, engineering, and more.

How many female farmers are there in the U.S.? What state has the highest percentage? The Census of Agriculture knows.

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It’s not that women don’t have a voice in agriculture. It just that they want more people to listen to what they have to say. That shouldn’t be that difficult — not if you look at the numbers anyway. According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, 36 percent of American farm producers were women, which should give them a pretty powerful voice. But if you ask women — and the American Farm Bureau has — most of the women who responded to a survey (64 percent) don’t think that they’re sufficiently represented in the ag industry, and an even bigger number (91 percent) say there should more women in leadership roles.

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WOMEN cont’d from page 5 And, they say, they’re more than capable of doing the job. Nearly all of them (98 percent) said that they have the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to fill leadership roles. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Committee’s 2019 Women in Ag survey asked 3,000 women across the nation who worked in an agrelated profession their thoughts on their role in the industry. The survey was aimed at beginning the conversation about what women in agriculture need to achieve their goals and aspirations. Josie Willett is a program technician with the USDA Farm Service Agency, and farms with her family in Lee County. She’s also a member of the Lee County Farm Bureau’s Young Leaders Committee. The 2012 Dixon High School graduate said women can be more involved when men can take them seriously, listen to their thoughts and opinions, and create constructive conversation. While she’s seen an improvement in this in recent years, sometimes creating diversity in the industry is still a challenge. “Men typically have been the ones out doing the hard work running the equipment, or tending to the animals, while women have been inside tending to the house and the kids,” Willett said. “Because the women have typically been the homemakers, the men of the industry don’t think we as women have any knowledge about anything in the field when that’s simply not true. “My gender should not hinder my ability to talk markets, mechanics and assist in the operation of the farm. Even if a woman didn’t grow up on a farm but they work in the industry — in agronomy, insurance, etc. — their gender still should not be a factor in what they may or may not know.”

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WOMEN cont’d from page 6 The same Farm Bureau survey also reaffirmed the positives of women’s roles in agriculture: Women say they are active advocates for agriculture, and increasingly believe they have the ability to make an impact. The survey showed that 95 percent of those surveyed frequently advocate for the agriculture industry, and 92 percent — 12 percent more than in a 2015 survey — say they possess the skills and knowledge to effectively advocate for the agriculture industry. Not all farms are one-sided when it comes to genders. Lee County Farm Bureau Executive Director Danelle Burrs grew up on a farm where Mom worked alongside Dad and Grandma worked alongside Grandpa. Feeling out of place, she said, wasn’t a something that came up when she entered the workforce. But, she acknowledges, others may not be as fortunate. “In my experience, agriculture has some of the best people around and my success would not have been possible without the support of the many volunteers and colleagues that I have worked with,” Burrs said. “I have always been welcome to have a seat at the proverbial table and feel that my abilities to succeed in this career have come from my genuine passion for agriculture.” Illinois Farm Bureau leaders on the state and county levels have taken a great interest in promoting and helping women succeed in agriculture. The bureau hosts an annual Women in Ag Conference each spring. The next one is March 25, 2022, (more information will be posted as it becomes available at womeninagricultureconference.com). The event is something Willett always looks forward to attending. Highlights of the conference are the several speaker sessions on a variety of ag-related topics, and the ability to network with other women.

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WOMEN cont’d from page 7 “This a great event to meet other women in agriculture from around the area,” Willett said. “I think this can be a less intimidating approach to bringing more women into the industry. Women connecting with other women in similar farm situations all while giving them the confidence boost to jump into conversations with the men.” And don’t write women off when planning for a farm’s future, Willett said. Just because a son isn’t in the next generation of one’s family doesn’t mean it’s the end of the line for the family farm. Women are just as capable of taking the reins, and the prosperity that a farm can bring can help daughters and grand-daughters enjoy the good things in life that past generations experienced. Willett considers herself “blessed with the most patient dad” in Charles, who helped her for more than a decade learn the ropes. “He trusts me to operate the grain cart, load and haul bales, feed cattle and talk anything farm related with me,” she said. “A lot of tears have been shed over the years feeling as if I was wasting time because I wasn’t catching on fast enough. I was consistently given time to fail and try again because it needed to be done and he knew that I could do it.” Willett remembers a harvest one year when a couple of neighbors visited and “were shocked” to learn that she was the one who ran the grain cart. She heard comments about that, and the remarks really puzzled her — but they didn’t stop her. “I continue to operate the grain cart to this day because of the support I have from the men close to me in this industry,” Willett said. “I want women to know that you are capable of doing hard things just as well as the men.” That’s a lesson Burrs is teaching that to her two young children. “If either child wants to explore a career in agriculture someday, it’s important that my daughter knows that she is just as welcome in the field as my son,” Burrs said. “On the flipside, my son is growing up watching his mom work a career at Farm Bureau and additionally work on the farm, and I know he will grow up expecting to see and value women working in agriculture.” Women also can learn just as well as men, Willett said. “Do I still have a lot to learn about this industry? You bet I do,” Willett said. “That is one of my favorite parts about this industry. There is always new technology, practices, market trends, and more to learn about. We can learn a lot from people if we stop talking, start listening and ask genuine questions.”

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Katie Pratt brings new meaning to the term “from farm to plate.” That’s because farming puts a lot on her plate. The selfdescribed “Illinois Farm Girl,” is a mom, a wife, the Lee County Ag in the Classroom coordinator, a blogger, a partner in the family farm, a storyteller, and an advocate for the farm community. ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@ SHAWMEDIA.COM

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NACHUSA — For Katie KATIE PRATT ENJOYS ALL THINGS AGRICULTURE Pratt, it all begins on the — living it, learning it, and teaching it. farm. Her day begins on the farm. The food we eat and The self-described Illinois Farm Girl the clothes we wear begin on The topics she takes loves telling the story of our farms and totheLeefarm. County classrooms begin on the farm. The stories farmers, teaching people about what she tells begin on the farm. lot of stories they’re growing, where it’s going, to tell,Andandshe’sa lotgotofaears listening to them — in classrooms, online, and why it’s important that it gets on social media … wherever there’s to be planted, Pratt is happy to there — from farm to plate and diga seed in and do her part, teaching students pizza toppings come from, how the scores of places beyond ol’ where pigskin they toss isn’t really pigskin, pretty much anything and everything farm-related. Pratt brings a wealth of knowledge to students as part of the national Ag in the Classroom program, supported by the Lee County Farm Bureau. While that program draws up lessons for its facilitators, Pratt combines them with her experiences on a family farm and her trips throughout the country.

PRATT cont’d to page 12

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How does Katie make sure students are all ears when you’re tea ching them the difference between field corn, popcorn an d decorative corn? Sure, she could have them look at pictures in a bo ok , but why do that when she can put the real thing in students’ hands. ALEX T. PASCHAL/A PASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA. COM

PRATT cont’d from page 11 When Pratt comes to a classroom with materials and props in hand, it’s like her own show-and-tell time: She shows them how agriculture plays a part in their everyday life and tells them how important those roles are — and she doesn’t want students to just look and listen. She wants them to ask questions. “One of the most important lessons, if I can impart anything on kids, is to use critical thinking and not accept something just because somebody says it,” Pratt said. “Learn how to ask questions and weigh facts, and continue to ask questions and understand that if an answer comes back that is different than what they thought to be true, then that’s OK. That’s how science works.”

PRATT cont’d to pages 13-14

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“What I appreciate about farming is that it’s pretty much a family affair,” Katie said. “As a kid, I probably didn’t appreciate that part of it as much, but as a parent now, it’s pretty awesome that my kids are learning from their grandparents and their uncles, and passing down that generational knowledge” — and rounding out the family? A lovable chocolate lab named Coco. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL @SHAWMEDIA.COM

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PRATT cont’d from page 12 For the past 8 years, Pratt has taught ag-related lessons to students of all ages, from the basics for younger students, like where trees come from, to topical environmental subjects for middle school students, to the exploration of ag careers for high-schoolers. Pratt’s passion for agriculture took root on the family farm she grew up on east of Amboy, but for her, the pen was as mighty as the plow. She brought together her interests in journalism and agriculture to write about farm topics, from shedding light on ag topics to shining a light on the people in the profession. After a stint working at the National FFA Convention team after college, she took her writing skills to a budding online platform and started the Illinois Farm Girl blog, all while getting married and starting a family close to home. The more she wrote, the more her pieces formed a bigger picture of life on a farm and in the field, the stories of the people and places that are the lifeblood of America’s heartland. “The crux of it was telling a farm story and having an outlet to share what we do, why, and how and when we do what we do on the farm — all things agriculture,” Pratt said. “I always liked to write, so it got me back into writing again. At that time, farmers were kind of hitting social media hard, and there was a movement to try and get farmers and ranchers to tell their sto-

ries, and blogging was really blowing up.” Agriculture proved to be a fertile ground for Pratt’s storytelling, and interest in her blog grew, both nationally and around the world. Farm advocates and leaders throughout the nation took notice of her work and she was invited to speak to different groups. So she traveled and spoke, and those experiences also became part of her work as she documented her travels and the people she met for her growing online audience. She became a spokesperson for the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and served on several national farm panels representing a farmer’s voice. Many time, farmers want to offer their side of the story, Pratt said, and she’s more than happy to listen and to tell their story. Their perspectives add to the debate and discussion of many topics, such as the facts and fiction behind genetically modified organisms. “The goal, also, in addition to telling the farm story, is also to encourage other farmers and ranchers to share their story as well,” Pratt said. “That doesn’t have to be online or on social media, that can be at the church parking lot on a Sunday morning, or in the grocery store when somebody’s haggling over a food label or a cut of meat. If you happen to be there, and have knowledge to share, share that knowledge because that human connection is what we look for all of the time in what we trust.”

PRATT cont’d to page 16

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Shelves and file cabinets in Pratt’s home are filled with resources for her Ag in the Classroom lessons. “One

of the most important lessons, if I can impart anything on kids, is to use critical thinking and not accept something just because somebody says it,” Pratt said. “Learn how to ask questions and weigh facts, and continue to ask questions and understand that if an answer comes back that is different than what they thought to be true, then that’s OK. That’s how science works.”

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PRATT cont’d from page 14 Being a woman brings a different perspective the fold on top of it all. Pratt personally has always felt accepted in agriculture, she said, but she knows there’s a lot of women who haven’t had that experience. She credits her dad, husband, father-in-law, and others who have always been inclusive of her as a woman in agriculture. While Pratt’s role as a member of the ag community helps her understand and relate to the issues, being a woman has helped her bring another voice to her stories — a voice that has something important to say to women considering a life on the farm: You can do it. “There are a lot of strong female voices out there,” Pratt said. “We’ll continue to celebrate those women, and continue to encourage our young women to take leadership roles and

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be involved. I’m encouraged, as the mother of a strong-willed young lady who is going to go very far in life, and we just have to encourage those young women to take those roles and not be bothered by the people who say you can’t do it.” Katie and her husband, Andy, farm south of Nachusa along with their children, Natalie and Ethan, and raise corn, soybeans and seed corn. Katie represents the fourth generation of her family to work on the farm, and Andy is a seventh-generation farmer. Katie’s parents, brother and sister-in-law continue to work on the family farm east of Amboy, and sometimes Katie will come by to help. The Pratts are closer to Dixon and operate their farms under the Grand Prairie Farms banner.

PRATT cont’d to page 17

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sorts of candies and pops in the concession stands, so you can’t have football without agriculture.” And what about that post-game party pizza? That’s right: No farms, no pizza. While Pratt’s happy to teach how a pizza pie is another slice of the farm life, she also teaches about healthier, farm-based food options. The pizza lesson, studying different toppings each week, begins early in school and when the kids get older, they’ll sometimes want Pratt to go back to the pizza lesson since they enjoyed it so much the first time around — it even came with a pizza party at the end of the lesson. “It makes agriculture very relevant to students,” Pratt said. “Everybody likes pizza, and now they’re learning about how we get the parts of a pizza from the farm to the actual pizza place.” Another topic that’s proven to be popular: The balance between farming and the environment. She’s gotten requests for more environmental stewardship lessons from some of her older students. “A lot of times, our lessons will follow the social conversation,” Pratt said. “Talking about water, we might touch on the drought out west and talk about why that’s happening and how it happened, and how do you continue to grow food in that environment.” Katie’s sister, Stacey Dinges, started Lee County’s Ag in the Classroom program nearly 20 years ago. When it became affiliated with the county farm bureau, Pratt took over and has put her own stamp on the program. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Pratt visited classrooms in the county nearly every day, including at Dixon Public Schools, where most of its students live within city limits. Whether kids grew up on a farm or not, Pratt prides herself on finding a way to make farming interesting — and relevant — to everyone. “I thoroughly enjoy talking and being back in the classroom,” Pratt said. “They’re very curious and everything excites them.”

Katie Pratt’s journey in farm advocacy and education has been documented on her blog, The Illinois Farm Girl, at theillinoisfarmgirl.com and on Facebook. For more information on Lee County Ag in the Classroom, find it on Facebook, go to lcfbfoundation.org/ ag-in-the-classroom, send an email to leecfb@comcast.net or call 815-719-0405.

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PRATT cont’d from page 16 Katie and Andy’s family gets to work on their land, and the children even have their own popcorn business, Bubba Bug Popcorn, from their homegrown corn. While the siblings started the business, Natalie has taken a lead role these days, tending to the bulk of the popcorn operation as Ethan has become more hands-on with the family farm, tending to his own tract of acreage. Natalie is also taking after her mother in the media world: She hosts and shoots short videos about agriculture topics throughout the state as “Natalie’s Awesome Agriculture,” documenting life on the farm. “Natalie is quite the talker,” Katie said. “When the world started shutting down in 2020, she started making videos about life on the farm. Illinois Ag in the Classroom picked up on it and requested that she do some videos for them. She got involved in the storytelling piece of agriculture, and she’s talked about micro-greens and agriculture in football.” Agriculture is something that not all students may be interested in, but it’s something that touches all of their lives, whether they know it or not, and Pratt is happy to teach them. Helping them understand where products come from can help them learn about the important relationship between farming and the rest of the world. That aforementioned pigskin at the beginning of this story? Football and farming aren’t that far apart, from the food players eat to the uniforms they wear to the ball they throw. While footballs were made from a hog’s hide at one time, these days cows make it possible for players to toss the ol’ pigskin. “Footballs are made from leather cowhide, and you can get 20 footballs from cowhide,” Pratt said. “The playing field comes from turf and grass management, and you have to manage the grass. The cotton in the uniforms is agriculture. The ink in our programs is soy ink. You find corn syrup in all

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LEAF RIVER — When Tara Hagemann looks out across a farm, she sees a lot of little things that may not mean a lot to some people — a cat’s eyes, blades of new growth peeking through the dirt, a spider setting up its web site in a field, a calf scampering through the grass — but to her, each one of those things tells a story. That’s when she goes into action. That’s when things start to click. Hagemann tells stories worth thousands of words through the pictures she takes for her business, Muddy Boots and Whiskers, which specializes in farm-related photography. Her focus on farms is a natural fit. Photography has been part of her family’s life for years, and farming runs in her husband’s family — a marriage of farm and function that helps her, and her clients, see the big picture.

MUDDY BOOTS cont’d to page 21

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MUDDY BOOTS cont’d from page 19 Muddy Boots and Whiskers combines Tara’s love for farming and photography — all things farming, she says on her website, from sunrises to sunsets and everything in between — and she runs the business on top of helping raise nearly 60 head of Herefords, corn and beans with her husband, Karl. When it comes to taking photos, she does more than just point and shoot; she makes a point of capturing moments and memories in her pictures. “I like trying to capture and preserve this history, whether it’s my family or somebody else’s family,” Hagemann said. “When my father-in-law’s gone, a lot of the history and knowledge will be gone, and so I’d like to be able to capture some of that in photographs. You wonder: ‘What did that look like?’ You want to see a picture.” Tara can be hired to shoot photo

sessions or stock photography for businesses. Her galleries can be found at, muddybootsandwhiskers.com, where photos can purchased on canvas, metal or wood. As for the name: “I have a lot of cats, and Whiskers just kind of encompasses all things animals, Hagemann said, and “with Muddy Boots, my shoes are usually muddy. So, Muddy Boots and Whiskers.” Photography has long been a passion of Tara’s, but marketing was her profession for 17 years. She worked for a Freeport firm, but the COVID-19 pandemic started to make her rethink what she wanted to do in life. Working from home at the pandemic’s start, Tara found she enjoyed being at home and on the farm more, and she thought more about spending time there long-term. So she put her passions together and started her new adventure.

MUDDY BOOTS cont’d to pages 22-24

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One of Tara’s favorite subjects are the 60 head of cattle and the scenic landscape on the family farm, where she and husband Karl raise cattle. “We have green grass, the sky is blue, and it's a healthy environment,” she said. “I just really wanted to show people where their beef was coming from, and with my photography background I can't just take one [photo]. I amassed a very large collection.” In fact, she could She could take pictures of the cattle ’til the cows come home. PHOTOS: ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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MUDDY BOOTS cont’d from page 21 “I like to help my husband farm and raise the beef and cattle that we sell, and I have enough of a photography collection that I can turn this into a business,” Tara said. “So I bit the bullet, took the plunge and put in my notice.” Business has not only picked up online, but on the farm, too. “We work well together,” Tara said. “I knew his strengths, he knows my strengths. If you can farm together and survive, you can work together. I don’t regret it one iota.” Tara grew up on a little farmette in Boone County that had mainly horses, along with a compliment of chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats. She also took part in 4-H and Pony Club. Her interest in marketing took her to college in Denver, and she hoped to stay there with her grandparents, but she eventually came back home.

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ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

Customers can order copies of Hagemann’s photos printed on a number of different materials — canvas, metal, wood. “I only use photographic processes and finishes that I would have in my own home,” she says on muddybootsandwhiskers.com. “I want products that are going to last, so I've researched and found a collection I'm really proud to offer.”

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MUDDY BOOTS cont’d from page 24 One of her grandparents, Donna Coss, started Hillside Studio in Crystal Lake decades ago. The photo studio later moved to Freeport, where Tara’s mother, Jody Coss, now runs it. The Hagemann family, beginning with the eldest, Karl, have farmed around Leaf River for nearly a century. In 1962, Karl Jr. bought the land that Karl “the third” and Tara live and work on today. While she admits that chores aren’t always the most fun part of being a farmer, one of them helped spark the idea that developed into her photos business. Feeding animals was her favorite chore – “It feels like you’re taking care of them,” she said — and her and Karl’s beef sales became the inspiration for Tara’s desire to take a closer look at farm life from behind the lens. “We have green grass, the sky is blue, and it’s a healthy environment.,” she said. “I just really wanted to show people where their beef was coming from, and with my photography background I can’t just take one [photo]. I amassed a very large collection.” That farm-to-fork docuTo schedule a photo mentation helps educate shoot, go to muddybootpeople about where their sandwhiskers.com or call food is coming from. 815-238-5778. “I think people are so far Find Muddy Boots and removed from their food. Whiskers on Facebook, They go to the grocery store and on Instagram (@mudand get the food, but it has dybootsandwhiskers) for to come from somewhere,” photographs and updates she said. “Even if you’re buyon where Tara will set up ing locally, you still want at regional shows. to know where it’s coming from.” Tara enjoys taking pictures of all things farming — cats and cattle, fields and farm machinery, gardens growing and roosters crowing — any slice of life on the farm that she says will evoke real emotions. She also shoots ag-related stock photos for commercial clients. Have a farm or agri-business story you want to tell with photos? Tara can do that, too. She loves to share her pride of farming in her photos. The couple’s farm provides a prime vantage point against a perfect backdrop. A highlight of the farm’s west view is the horizon line at the farm’s edge where land and sky meet under the sun. “Looking at the landscape, I just think it’s one of the prettiest pieces in Ogle County,” Tara said. “It’s because of the light,

More info

and I’m watching it, and there’s a lot to look at. The west light is absolutely gorgeous.” Tara’s pride in her work doesn’t stop with the photo; it extends to the media it’s printed on. “I only use photographic processes and finishes that I would have in my own home,” she says on her website. “I want products that are going to last, so I’ve researched and found a collection I’m really proud to offer. I stand by my products 100%.” She gives customers a card with each piece she sells containing instructions on how to care for the materials photos are printed on. In addition to selling them online, she also sells at area craft shows and farmers markets. Canvas images are on Breathing Color material, which is designed to last more than 100 years and doesn’t have chemicals that can discolor it. Metal images are on ChromaLuxe aluminum, created by a high-heat technology that fuses images onto the surface. A mixture of maple plywood from the United States and Canada, as well as Russian birch, is used for wood-based images. The UV ink used is resistant to fading. Images on cloth are done in a sublimation baking process, and they won’t crack or peel. Tara enjoys working in the digital medium — “With digital photography, you get instant gratification,” she says — but the gratification she gets from preserving stories with her farmfresh photos lasts much longer. “I enjoy being outdoors,” she said. “I enjoy having purpose in having something to do.”

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of There’s more to ag classes than just the 3 F’s — farms, flora and fauna — there’s math, science, geometry, engineering ... and the instructors who teach the classes have to be Jacks, and Jills, of all trades

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Jacqueline Walters, ag teacher and FFA adviser at Sterling High School, runs through a lab assignment with her students. “I like the diversity of it,” she said of teaching ag classes, “and I like that it relates to every single person on this planet.”

PHOTOS: ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM | STORY BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE

SHS ag teacher Megan Barnhart works with student Jose Castro on a set of bags boards the class was building for a fundraiser. “Agriculture is always changing,” she said. “There are always going to be new things to teach.”

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By Cody Cutter | Sauk Valley Media

“It’s almost like, being ag teachers, you’re a jack of all trades but a master of none. Some of it is second nature to me, but with a class I haven’t taught, or haven’t taught in a couple of years, you’re constantly reteaching yourself.”

STERLING — Math. Science. English. Social studies. Physical education. They’re all classes students have to pass in order to graduate high school. They also have something else in common: Those topics are all fields of study that are part of a bigger field: Agriculture. How do they all fit into farming? Ask Jacqueline Walters and Megan Barnhart. The Sterling High School teachers will be happy to tell you — and they should know. In classrooms, workshops, and even a greenhouse, the pair help nearly 190 students in Sterling High School’s agriculture class understand the role farming plays in all their lives, from the food they eat to the clothes they wear to the car they drive.

Jacqueline Walters | Sterling High School agriculture teacher PHOTO: ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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CLASSES cont’d from page 28 “I like the diversity of it, and I like that it relates to every single person on this planet,” Walters said. “Some kid may walk through my door and think, ‘Agriculture? That has nothing to do with me.’ Really? Do you eat? Some kids will be like, ‘Yeah, but I don’t eat meat.’ But do you eat lettuce? Do you eat corn? Do you drive a car? Because ethanol is produced from corn. It is related to every single person.” The classes aren’t just a 101 on flora and fauna; they also teach other skills. How big of a structure would it take to house 25 head of cattle? That’ll take some geometry to figure out, which students in Walter’s animal science classes learn. The basics of business are a must, too — it’s hard to master the concept of cash and commodities if you don’t learn how things add up.

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Before she even starts her lesson plan, SHS ag teacher Megan Barnhart has already taught her students something: that women are just as much of a force in farming as men are.

“When I walk into my ag mechanics classes, the majority of the students in class are males,” she said. “It’s just as easy for us to do those things as it is for men.” PHOTO: ALEX T. PASCHAL/APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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CLASSES cont’d from page 30 Sometimes, students have to lay down the books and pick up tools for some hands-on lessons. Barnhart, a 2017 SHS graduate, teaches an ag mechanics class, which brings together math, tech skills, construction, wiring and welding to give students the know-how to fix a farm machine. That means Barnhart has to wield welding tools to show her students how it’s done, and you’ll find her fingerprints on blueprints, too. She said that some students are surprised to see a woman master those skills. “When I walk into my ag mechanics classes, the majority of students are male,” Barnhart said, but “it’s just as easy for us to do those things as it is for men. I find that women have a greater attention to detail on some things, so they can be better at welding or wiring circuits.”

Jacqueline Walters runs through a lab assignment with her students. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@SHAWMEDIA.COM

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Megan Barnhart works on a bags board for an FFA fundraiser. ALEX T. PASCHAL/ APASCHAL@ SHAWMEDIA.COM

Walters and Barnhart took different paths to become high school teachers, though they both studied in the prestigious University of Illinois agriculture program. Walters, who has taught at Sterling High for 4 years, grew up on a farm in rural McHenry County. Barnhart, in her second year of teaching, was raised in Dixon, but has family who owns farmland. Walters had her mind set on teaching when she was in high school. Barnhart wanted to be a game warden, but she found in college that plants piqued her interest, and she also developed a passion for teaching. Today, both women teach to their strengths — Walters with animals and Barnhart with plants — but the two of them get to branch out into several different areas as part of their job. Walters is also teaching a crop science class for the first time, as well as the introduction class for freshmen.

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CLASSES cont’d from page 32 “The cool thing about intro is that they get a little bit of everything: animal, soil science, plant unit, a mechanics unit,” Walters said. “That way, after their freshman year they can say they liked a unit and choose a pathway. “I like it because I can get a little more diverse in what I teach. Even though I don’t teach the horticulture classes, I get a little bit of that with the kids, which is kind of fun.” “It’s almost like, being ag teachers, you’re a jack of all trades but a master of none,” Walters said. “Some of it is second nature to me, but with a class I haven’t taught, or haven’t taught in a couple of years, you’re constantly reteaching yourself.” Walters and Barnhart are different than core subject teachers in that they have more freedom to create their own lesson plans. It’s similar to a college, where there are a variety of different topics a department can offer classes for, and the teachers get to figure out what to teach that year based chiefly on student interest. Students choose classes, and if there’s enough to fill most of the chairs, then it’s a go. Other ag classes taught in the past include veterinary technology, greenhouse production and floral design, environmental science, natural resources and conservation management, and agriculture business management. Another difference: Ag curriculums are a always a work in progress Since the world of agriculture keeps changing, lessons can

change based on the latest trends and information. “Sometimes with core classes it can be monotonous,” Barnhart said. “Agriculture is always changing. There are always going to be new things to teach in agriculture.” Sterling is a mid-sized city with most of its students living within city limits, but there are still plenty who have grown up on farms. Some have a good grasp of farming while others are still learning, something that factors into how Walters draws up her lessons. There’s even room for debate in some classes — the use of chemicals, farming’s affect on the environment, genetically modified seed — they’re all topics of debate. When it comes to differences of opinion, Walters does her best to make sure students know the facts so that, agree or disagree, they can at least reach an informed opinion. “I find value in it, and I feel what I do is important, and it’s important for students to be educated consumers,” Walters said. “That’s my ultimate goal when they leave my classroom: I want you to have your own beliefs, but at least be an educated consumer about it and be able to back up what you believe.” Walters is the adviser for the school’s FFA program, one that has grown in membership from about 10 to more than 30 in the last couple years. Sterling’s chapter is an affiliated one, which means that every student who takes an ag class is automatically enrolled in FFA, but only a fraction of them are actively engaged in its activities.

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ters said. “Every day is different. Some days are harder than others, especially with COVID, but I do like it.” Some students took part in the National FFA Convention in Both women enjoy being able to teach something to stuIndianapolis during the last week of October, and they got to do dents they didn’t get much of a chance to learn when they it in person, unlike last year when the event went virtual due to were in high school. Walters’ school, Alden-Hebron, didn’t the pandemic. even have agriculture classes, and Barnhart only got in on The club hosted an Autumn Ag Day on Oct. Sterling’s her senior year, when the school restarted the class16, which featured animals, Ag in the Classes after a long hiatus, but she still managed to take as many room activities, touch-a-tractor, and more as she could. all presented to help the public learn more “I was thrilled,” Barnhart said. “I had grown up about farming. Events such as that, and the seeing FFA, and neighboring towns had that, FFA’s slew of career development events, and it was something I always wanted to be has helped Walters establish better relationinvolved in. When we finally got it, I was ships with the students and their families by thrilled. I could be a part of it now, and I interacting with them outside of a classroom. could be a part of agriculture in a way that “Their parents get involved and can appreI hadn’t before.” ciate the value in what I teach them, which is Find Sterling High School FFA on Barnhart takes a lot of pride in makgreat,” Walters said. “We have so many differFacebook to learn more about ing sure her students are engaged in their ent things that we do. We have our hands in a the school’s FFA program. studies, both mentally and physically. Stulot of different things, which, in a way, makes it dents get out of their chairs more than in more involved.” other classes, something Barnhart enjoys, too. Many long nights and weekends on top of the “They’re sitting for 2, 3 or 4 hours, and they get teaching job keeps Walters busy, but the work paid off to move, and that’s an outlet for them,” Barnhart said. early this school year when the FFA chapter became a national “They’re able to work with their hands, and are able to move 3-star chapter, the highest “star award” one can receive. The around in the shop. Even in the horticulture classes, we do it superior designation opens the door for more honors and parduring labs or out in the greenhouse.” ticipation in additional state and national programs.

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One recent project in the school’s workshop: cornhole (“bags”) boards, featuring SHS’s blue and gold and the “S” logo on the boards, which were sold by word-of-mouth and through the school’s FFA Facebook page. Students managed the sales, too. “They really enjoyed it,” Barnhart said. “It gives them a mental break from their other classes. They’re still learning things, but they’re applying those right away.” Sales, math, mechanics, they’re all par for a course that teaches students just how big of a footprint agriculture has. “I try to connect it back to where can you see those applications in the agricultural field,” Barnhart said. “Where would they see those skills? Maybe they want to build a shed for their animals, or maybe a shed for equipment, so you’re going to want to use these carpentry skills.” Both teachers know that not all of their students will follow in their footsteps onto a farm, but Walters and Barnhart are encouraging as many students as they can — especially women — to explore the world of agriculture. “Don’t be discouraged or afraid to work in an industry that is dominant in males, because we need females in ag; we need more people in ag,” Walters said. “There are a lot of pictures on social media of women on the farm working, and that’s just cool to see.” “Because it has been dominated by men for so long, women kind of get scared to go into that field thinking they’re not going to do as well,” Barnhart added. “Chances are, you’re probably going to do it better.”

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