Assume a spaceship from Saturn has just landed in New Jersey. When the hatch opens the Saturnian astronaut steps out and says, “Take me to your leader?’ Your response is which leader are you looking for? The Saturnian leader says “Obviously, the leader of agriculture, specifically agricultural education.”
So why would somebody from Saturn want to meet the Agricultural Education leader? In case you need a refresher course in astronomy the Romans named the five brightest planets after Roman gods. Saturn was named after the Roman god of agriculture. According to myth, Saturn introduced agriculture to his people by teaching them how to farm the land which ushered in a golden age of plenty.
So it would make sense for a Saturnian to want to learn more about agriculture on earth, and specifically New Jersey where he landed. Who better to teach the Saturnian about agriculture in New Jersey than the state program leader for Agricultural Education.
The question is where would you take the Saturnian to meet the agricultural education leader of New Jersey? Would it be the:
- New Jersey Department of Education
- Rutgers University
- New Jersey Farm Bureau
- New Jersey Department of Agriculture
We have a special guest columnist today who will answer that question for us as the Friday Footnote continues to explore agricultural education in New Jersey. Nancy Trivette, the retired state program leader for agricultural education, will explain the leadership structure for agricultural education in New Jersey. Take it away Nancy.
In the Beginning
The position of the State Supervisor of Agricultural Education/State FFA Advisor and/or state leadership for Ag Ed has had several homes in New Jersey since the 1920’s. Originally, H.O. Sampson, Rutgers University professor, held the position and accompanied students in 1929 (Leslie Applegate and Philip Alampi) to what we know today as the National FFA Convention. State leadership for agricultural education and/or FFA was moved back and forth between the state Department of Education (NJDOE) and Rutgers several times over the decades. Two positions responsible for agricultural education and FFA existed at NJDOE in the late 1970’s (State Supervisor and State FFA Executive Secretary).
After a retirement, in the early 1980’s, the New Jersey Department of Education eliminated the State FFA Executive Secretary position, thus reducing the state’s ag ed staff to the one position of State Supervisor/State FFA Advisor. In 1982, a graduate assistant position was created for a part-time role at Cook College, Rutgers to conduct FFA state contests.
In 1983, the grant was expanded to a full-time state FFA position and administered out of the Education Department in the basement of Waller Hall at Cook College, Rutgers University. Similar NJDOE grant funded positions were also created for the other vocational student organizations (VSOs) around the state. Other than the oversight from the state advisors in NJDOE, all VSO activities occurred outside of the Department of Education.
The NJ agriculture teachers’ organization (then NJVATA, and now NJAAE) became active and vocal in supporting the reestablishment of a permanent FFA position. After much work with state legislators, and with the help of NJ Farm Bureau, a bill went to the Governor’s desk and was pocket vetoed. The state’s Department of Education Commissioner and Department Agriculture Secretary were directed to solve the problem by both providing funds to support the position and administration of FFA at Cook College, Rutgers. Grant funds from both departments flowed to the college of agriculture for several years. In 1989, because of New Jersey’s vocational education ‘scandal’ and the misuse of vocational education funds by some officials, all VSOs were moved back to the state Department of Education. This initiated an interagency agreement between the two departments where NJDA would send NJDOE funds to support the FFA state office and position.
Six years later, state education officials divested all VSO positions from the state Department of Education, again. Some VSO administration went to local schools or county colleges. However, with a strong connection to the agriculture industry and state officials, FFA and the FFA specialist position (State FFA Executive Secretary) was moved to the State Department of Agriculture in 1995 where it still exists today. New Jersey may have been one of the first states to administer the FFA and later agricultural education from a state department of agriculture. It continues to be the only New Jersey Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) administered by a state agency today.
The interagency agreement, which provided funding, was reversed and now NJDOE sent NJDA funds to administer FFA. At about the same time program specialists became generalists and the state supervisor position for ag education was eliminated in the state Department of Education, once again reducing NJ state staff to one position.
Luckily, The Council’s national project ‘Reinvent Agricultural Education for the Year 2020’ was initiated during this period. The NJ Department of Agriculture, agriculture industry and agricultural education community embraced the initiative which resulted in creating the position of State Program Leader/State Advisor at NJDA (State Supervisor) in addition to the FFA position. Thus, the New Jersey Office of Agricultural Education was created in about 2000, and New Jersey ag education has been administered by NJDA, with oversight by NJDOE since. Staff from both departments maintain a strong working relationship which continues to have a positive impact on New Jersey’s statewide programs.
The office, now referred to as the Office of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, continues to operate at NJDA with funding from the New Jersey Department of Education through a memorandum of agreement. State ag education funding, a state match to federal funds, covers items such as three full-time salaries, office equipment and supplies, occasional temporary staff, travel, and grants to schools for professional development and/or equipment.
Figure 1. The website for agricultural education in New Jersey. https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/ag_ed/
Concluding Remarks
Thank you, Nancy. In addition to serving as the program leader for agricultural education in New Jersey, Nancy has also served as national president of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). Recently there have been several agricultural educators who have been ACTE presidents (Bobby Torres, Chaney Mosley, Scott Stone). Let’s keep up the good work.
One of the discoveries I have made in writing the Friday Footnotes is that “One Size Doesn’t Fit All.” That is in reference to the location of the state level leadership for agricultural education in the various states.
In the early days of agricultural education most state level leadership was found in the State Department of Education with a few exceptions. However, over time, different models and approaches to state leadership emerged. It does not hurt to learn about the different approaches to state leadership. I guess the old adage to think outside the box might not be a bad idea.
If you haven’t discerned the answer to the question in the introduction, you would guide the Saturnian to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. And you might welcome him as your guest tomorrow – Saturday. After all, Saturday is named after the Roman god Saturn (Saturn’s Day). Perhaps you could celebrate that fact by working in the garden or performing some other agricultural activity.
One other note – Erin Noble is the current program leader for agricultural education in New Jersey.
Figure 2. Press release announcing Erin Noble as state program leader. See the entire article at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/press/2019/press190114.shtml.