Agriculture Education Impacts Community Futures through more than 4,300 Missouri Elementary Students This Summer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Summer 2025
Heather Fletcher
heather@agmoves.com
(573)286-0013
More than 4,300 elementary students across Missouri have enjoyed hands-on lessons about agriculture during enrichment programming this summer. Schools and community groups partnered with Missouri Farmers Care’s Agriculture Education on the Move™ (Ag Moves) to provide students with ten foundational lessons on agriculture topics, teaching students that their food comes from farms and the products used in everyday life come from agriculture. These lessons also make a difference in the lives of local Ag Moves Educators as they help tomorrow’s consumers make connections to their food, fuel, fibers and farmers today.
Heather Fletcher, program director of Ag Moves, expressed the value of agriculture education in elementary classrooms. “By empowering young educators and inspiring students through hands-on agricultural learning, we’re not just teaching the origins of food and the impact of agriculture on daily life—we’re cultivating confidence, communication, mentorship and leadership that can help shape the future of our communities,” Heather says. “Ag Moves is an investment in future of our communities. We are thrilled with every opportunity to incorporate Ag Moves lessons into summer classes, and look forward to returning each year."
Ag Moves is a proactive, educational effort that brings passionate, trained educators into classrooms across Missouri to build agricultural literacy at elementary ages. During the STEM focused program, students learn about crops, livestock, soil and water conservation, nutrition, and careers in agriculture through a curriculum which meets grade-level-appropriate state learning objectives in the areas of science, math, social studies, and language arts.
During the Ag Moves lessons, students make soybean germination necklaces, corn plastic, butter, animal feed rations, soil profiles to make their learning interactive and fun. Students are exposed to real Missouri farm families and learn about their dedication, compassion, sacrifice, and work ethic on the farm. Ag Moves is provided at no cost to schools or enrichment programs by the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation.
Multi-year partnerships prove that educators find Ag Moves to be an engaging and effective addition to curriculum. Partners across Missouri agriculture believe Ag Moves is a great investment in future community leaders.
Ag Moves’ continuous growth has resulted in a 57% enrollment increase over the last 3 years. Its 2025 summer impact alone reached 16% more students compared to successful efforts last summer. A portion of this growth can be attributed to the expansion of the Ag Moves collegiate educator program. The collective efforts of 28 young educators made it possible for the summer program to expand to every region of the state this year. Through extensive partnerships, Ag Moves had a positive influence in the lives of more than 12,600 Missouri elementary students during the 2024-2025 school year.
“Connecting students with agricultural education through Ag Moves creates immense value to students and communities,” says Ashley McCarty, Missouri Farmers Care executive director. “Students experience the thrill of germinating seeds, understand the basics of how farmers grow their food and see, many for the first time, the agriculture all around them. Agriculture is the $97 billion economic engine that drives Missouri’s economy; many of these students will land in careers in agriculture, food, and forestry down the road.”
The Ag Education on the Move Coloring Fun App can extend learning for elementary students through the summer months. The app gives youth an opportunity to virtually explore their connection to the food they eat, fuel they use, and fiber they as they color their way through the farm. The free app is available on Google Play, Apple App Store and Amazon Appstore at https://www.agmoves.com/aeotmapp. Additional free, downloadable partner resources are available at www.agmoves.com/resources to provide additional summer fun and learning.
Ag Moves is funded through Missouri Farmers Care, a coalition of more than 40 Missouri agriculture groups. Missouri soybean farmers and their checkoff, the MFA Oil Foundation, FCS Financial and MFA Incorporated, support the program, along with contributions from Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, Missouri Beef Industry Council, Vital Farms, The Poultry Federation and the Missouri Fertilizer Control Board. To learn more, invite the program into your school, support the program, or to become a partner, visit www.agmoves.com.
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AGRICULTURE EDUCATION ON THE MOVE™ (Ag Moves)
Ag Education on the Move™ (Ag Moves), a program of Missouri Farmers Care, is a proactive, educational effort that brings passionate, trained educators to the classroom to build agricultural literacy at elementary ages. The ten-week hands-on education program works to increase general understanding of agriculture through interactive educational experiences in the classroom and on the farm. www.agmoves.com
MISSOURI FARMERS CARE FOUNDATION
Missouri Farmers Care Foundation enables Missourians to understand the influence and importance of agriculture in their daily lives by serving as the centralized hub of the unified educational programs, awards, and hunger relief efforts of Missouri's agricultural community. www.MOFarmersCare.com
MISSOURI FARMERS CARE
Missouri Farmers Care is a joint effort by Missouri's agriculture community to stand together for the men and women who provide the food and jobs on which our communities depend. The coalition of more than 40 leading Missouri agricultural groups promotes the growth of Missouri agriculture and rural communities through coordinated communication, education and advocacy. www.MOFarmersCare.com
