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Latest News
New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau Educator of the Year
Fifth grade teacher C.O. Marricle was honored as the 2007 New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau Educator of the Year at a Character Counts assembly at his school, Fairacres Elementary. This award recognizes the excellent job Marricle does of teaching his students about the role agriculture plays in their lives.
“I feel that kids today need to have a clear and working knowledge of how important agriculture is to our country,” said Marricle. “They need to know that historically, agriculture is the backbone of any country.”
Marricle has long been involved with incorporating agriculture into his curriculum in subjects such as science, math and social studies. He takes his students on field trips to both the fair and the Mesilla Valley Maze, and maintains a garden at school which serves as an outdoor classroom.
“C.O.’s students are very fortunate to have a teacher that is so passionate about education. They benefit daily from his interest in our state’s history of farming and ranching and how that ties into modern food production,” said Dalene Hodnett, Director of New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom.
As recipient of the award, Marricle will attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Costa Mesa, California, June 25-28, 2008.
About Agriculture in the Classroom
Too many children, and adults, think food is produced at the grocery store. Ag. in the Classroom is designed to increase student's ability to function more effectively as agriculturally literate citizens, supportive of wise environmental policies and programs. New Mexico Ag. in the Classroom strives to assist educators with teaching more about the source of our food and fiber and the role of agriculture in the nation's total economy and society. Agriculture is incorporated into general subjects already being taught rather than as an "added" subject. Some of the subjects incorporating Ag in the Classroom are:
- Social Studies
- Art
- Science
- History
- English
- Math
- Hands on Projects
Program Aspects:
Lessons for K-12 developed by New Mexico teachers, in-service trainings for teachers throughout the state and a resource library which includes environmental and agricultural facts and figures as well as curriculum material from across the nation.
Ag in the Classroom, bringing New Mexico schools to life. A program of the N.M. Farm and Livestock Bureau. In cooperation with:
- The Beef Council
- New Mexico Cattlegrowers
- New Mexico Department of Agriculture
- NMSU-AXED Department
- NMSU Cooperative Extension Service