Focusing on the History of Agricultural Education and Rural America
Today we have a special guest columnist, Dr. Troy White from the University of Nebraska. He will educate us about the various contests that have been held for agricultural students in Nebraska for over 100 years. Take it away Dr. Continue reading The Nebraska State High School Agriculture Contests (3/13/2026)
This week the Friday Footnote travels to Nebraska. We start our Nebraska journey in 1913 by asking five questions: What is a Shumway Act School? In addition to agriculture, what two other vocational subjects were to be taught in Shumway Continue reading What is a Shumway Act School? (3/6/2026)
While reams of paper have been written about various aspects of the history of agricultural education one sees little in print about the veterans’ on-the-farm training program. All states, including Montana, operated training programs for World War II and Korean Continue reading On-The-Farm Veterans Training in Montana (2/27/2026)
Today we have an invited guest columnist. I asked Eric Tilleman, who taught agriculture for 16 years at Cascade High School in Montana to write this column. Take it away Eric. I never set out to become a politician; I Continue reading From the School House to the State House (2/20/2026)
In an article published in the Montana Farmer-Stockman (March 1, 1931, p. 5) titled “Educating the Farmers’ Children” Fred Ward, Superintendent of Thompson Falls High School writes: The greatest single fact about Montana geography is distance. Someone has said that our state Continue reading The Montana Distance Problem—and the Solution is! (2/13/2026)