If it is the month of March, then it is Agriculture Month in the fourth grade classes of Diana Agre and Kim Hofstad at the Meadowlark School.

In June, the veteran educators, along with four other teachers from across the U.S. were nationally honored for excellence in teaching agriculture in the classroom in Atlantic City, N.J.

Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, teachers are selected by an expert panel for their outstanding contributions to education about American agriculture.

While you’d never guess it when talking to them, the two Conrad instructors have 54 combined years of teaching experience.

Agre attended MSU –Bozeman and graduated from MSU-Billings and has taught for 31 years, 30 of them in Conrad.

She was the Montana Ag Educator of the Year in 2004 and was named to “Who’s Who in America’s Teachers” in 1982.

Hofstad has 23 years of teaching experience, 21 of them in Conrad. She graduated from Oral Roberts University and received her Masters degree in Education from Lesley University in 2000.

She won the 2004 Award of Excellence for Ag in Montana  and to show some versatility, Hofstad was the Class B Coach of the Year in 2002, 03, 04 for boys’ golf.

The month of March is designated as Agricultural month at Meadowlark School for the fourth grade students. The classes of Agre and Hofstad totally focus on Ag-education with the entire 31 days filled with special field rtips, a wide variety of agricultural and related field speakers visiting their rooms, and actual hands-on learning.

AG AWARD-From the left, Kim Hofstad, and Diana Agre on the right, receive an Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture award from the Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Gale Buchanan in Atlantic City, N.J. in June. They were honored with four other educators from across the U.S. for teaching fourth graders all about agriculutre.

Presenters coming in include those from a Bee farm, and students learn to make bread and ice cream, always a favorite. Ag marketing is taught as well as farm safety – again naming a few of the topics.

In the classroom, regular study for the month, reading, language arts, social studies, math, science and art revolves around agriculture.

“This helps provide a foundation for our local 4-H programs and a nationally recognized high school FFA program,” Hofstad said.

Agre echoes that, noting, “The foundation students receive in their Ag-month leads to future leaders with an appreciation and reverence for the importance of agriculture.”

In addition, each student picks out an Ag-topic of special interest and puts together a project for an Agricultural Fair at the end of the month. This is when the Conrad community is invited to view their projects and art works for the month.

In a side note, Agre relates that after the USDA awards program she was able to meet-up with E. Hensley (now Eck), a former Conrad teacher now living in the Philadelphia area. They did some local sight-seeing and took in a Phillie-Yankee game.

Education may be the breath of the nation, but Ag-month in March is the foundation for a lifetime of learning.