State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball joined thousands of volunteers across the state to celebrate Agricultural Literacy Week during the program’s 20th anniversary. The statewide effort aims to educate students about the importance of agriculture and opportunities for careers in the industry by bringing together volunteers to visit classrooms and engage with students through a book reading and hands-on activities. Now in its 20th year, Agricultural Literacy Week is organized by the New York Agriculture in the Classroom Program, which is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball said, “Preparing a strong, resilient generation of agricultural leaders starts by instilling in our young people an understanding and appreciation of how our food is grown and where it comes from. Ag Literacy Week is all about getting young children excited about food and agriculture and plays an essential role in introducing them to the importance of our industry. I congratulate our partners at New York Agriculture in the Classroom for the tremendous milestones they’ve achieved this year and want to thank the thousands of volunteers across the state, including right here at the Department, who are joining the effort to share the story of agriculture with our youngest New Yorkers!”
New York State has one of the longest-running and largest Agricultural Literacy Week programs in the country. Each year, volunteers visit schools throughout the state to read an agricultural-themed book to students. This week, Commissioner Ball visited a second-grade classroom at Schoharie Elementary School on Tuesday, March 18. In addition, over two dozen Department of Agriculture and Markets staff members joined the statewide volunteer effort to visit classrooms and conduct lessons.
This year’s selected book is “The Pie that Molly Grew” by Sue Heavenrich, a New York author based in Tioga County. The book tells the story of a young girl’s journey bringing a pumpkin to harvest – from the seed to the sprout to the leaves to the final fruit on the vine – before turning the fruit of her labor into a delicious pie.
The NYAITC program announced that this year, a record 1 million students have participated in Agricultural Literacy Week since the start of the program, which was launched in 2006. In 2025, over 100,000 students across 62 counties will participate in the program’s activities. During volunteer’ visits, students benefit from an interactive lesson and share their personal experiences in agriculture. Teachers are provided with follow up activities to continue these important educational opportunities throughout the school year.
To learn more about NYAITC and Agricultural Literacy Week, including a list of previous years’ books, visit newyork.agclassroom.org/programs/literacy.
New York Agriculture in the Classroom Director Katie Carpenter said, “Agricultural Literacy Week is a meaningful opportunity to connect students with the farmers, food, and agricultural systems that sustain our communities. We hope to inspire the next generation to appreciate the vital role of agriculture in their daily lives. This program not only builds a deeper understanding of where our food comes from, but it introduces students to the people living innovative careers in agriculture. We are grateful for the teachers and volunteers who help us cultivate agricultural literacy in New York’s students.”
New York Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Chair Bill Zalakar said, “The future of agriculture is connected to our continued efforts to share the story of agriculture with our youth. Agricultural Literacy Week is an important opportunity for farmers to visit schools and share their farm’s story so that students can learn about farming, where their food comes from and possible careers related to agriculture. New York Farm Bureau members have been visiting classes across the state and reading to students all week. These efforts help ensure that more youth have the opportunity to learn about agriculture.”
Expanding Agricultural Education Throughout New York State
Introducing young people to the importance of local agriculture and the food system early on is critical to developing a pipeline of future agricultural leaders. New York State has more than 400 agricultural teachers across New York. The State is adding MANRRS chapters across the State, including the first junior chapter at John Bowne High School in Queens, and it has nearly 200,000 4-H students in every corner of the State. New York FFA is growing faster than any other state and is currently celebrating its 100-year anniversary.
Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul held New York’s first-ever Youth Agriculture Conference, which brought together nearly 300 high school students from FFA, 4-H and the National Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. The students came from across the state to identify opportunities for youth engagement in agriculture that reflect the industry’s future workforce needs. Following the conference, Governor Hochul announced the launch of a new Blue-Ribbon Panel to Advance Agriculture Education, which will bring together food and agriculture industry stakeholders, educational institutions, and educators to chart a course for strengthening agriculture education and supporting the multi-faceted needs of the workforce.
To build on these successes and further access to agricultural education, Governor Hochul has, in her Executive Budget, proposed supporting the integration of agriculture education into the public-school curriculum, ensuring students gain valuable knowledge and hands-on experience. Newly proposed funding for the successful New York Agriculture in the Classroom program will ensure educators have the resources and assistance they need for successful implementation. The Governor also proposed a historic initiative to ensure every New York student can receive breakfast and lunch for free at school.
Governor Hochul has made combatting food insecurity a priority for her administration, working closely with the Department on several initiatives to connect local growers directly to underserved communities, including the Farm-to-School Program, the 30% Initiative, and the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program. In addition, the FY24 Enacted Budget raised the discretionary threshold for food purchasing for schools to $150,000, a significant increase from the previous threshold.
About New York Agriculture in the Classroom
Established in 1985, New York Agriculture in the Classroom is a partnership of Cornell University, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the New York State Education Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the New York Farm Bureau.
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