EXCHANGE: FFA chapter to be more than 'cows, plows and sows'

(AP) — Hey, Sterling High School students:

"When people think about agriculture, they think of cows, plows and sows," Baker said.

In offering ag classes, the district can finally have an FFA program for the first time in at least 20 years, and the group will include Challand Middle School eighth-graders.

After hiring Baker, the district took another step in converting social studies teacher Julie LeFevre into an eighth-grade agriculture instructor.

After teaching ag at Bureau Valley High School, LeFevre took time to be a stay-at-home mom after she had her twins, Blake and Alicia, now 11.

How can we be part of that?' It was always with a positive attitude.

Challand Middle School will also offer a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) elective, which LeFevre said will go "hand-in-hand" with ag, and an Ag Club will be added at the middle school - you know, the sort of opportunity Baker would have leapt at as a middle-schooler.

"In high school, I didn't fit in with the band kids; I didn't fit in with the art kids; I was just kind of there," ''That's what I want my classroom to kind of collect: kids who don't have a home.

Baker polished off her ag education degree this past spring, and said the prospect of starting a program while starting her full-time teacher career is daunting but thrilling.