Agriculture Education

Hannah Gress

Hannah Gress is the Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA Advisor at Central Cass School. Hannah graduated from Mandan High School and served as the 2017-2018 ND State FFA Treasurer her freshman year of college. She graduated from Bismarck State College with an Associate’s in Science and in Arts in 2019. She received her Bachelor’s of Agricultural Education from North Dakota State University in May 2021. She enjoys providing students with the opportunity to explore the Agricultural Industry through hands-on and engaging activities in the classroom. Hannah believes in being a life-long learner and values the importance of continuous professional development. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog hiking, kayaking, and camping.

 

Course	Credit	Grade Level	Prerequisite	Fee/Special Requirements
Introduction to Agriculture	0.5	10-12	null	null
Plant Science I (formerly Botany/Horticulture I)	0.5	10-12	null	null
Plant Science II (formerly Botany/Horticulture II)	0.5	10-12	Plant Science	null
World & International Agriculture	0.5 or 1	10-12	null	null
Cooperative Work Experience	0.5	10-12	null	null

 

Course Descriptions:

Introduction to Agriculture (Video/Hybrid)
This applied course is designed to introduce students to agriculture, its applications, and leadership development as the core foundation of the Agriculture Education program. Individual units will familiarize the student with: basic mechanical theory and skills – emphasis will be placed on safety and proper use of tools and equipment; principles of evaluation and selection of beef, swine, sheep, horse, and dairy animals; soil and plant relationships that affect the production of food and fiber. Topics may include: soils, irrigation, land judging, plants, crop and weed identification, range management, horticulture, nursery, diseases, insects, and chemicals.

Plant Science I & Plant Science II (Video/Hybrid)
This is a participation-oriented course focusing on the fundamental principles of horticulture. Students will be exposed to a variety of careers and to propagating plants in a lab or greenhouse setting. Students will study Botany/plant science, growing plants, the business of raising and selling plants, and small business management. Hands-on experiences will include computer assisted landscape design, home and business landscaping, commercial greenhouse operation, plant nutrition, landscape beautification, and community involvement. Students raise a variety of bedding plants, flowers, ornamentals, and garden plants as a part of the lab activities and work on community floral projects. This class will be delivered through hybrid model of on-line coursework, field trips, and lab activities.

World & International Agriculture (online)
A course designed to introduce students to global agriculture. This course also includes agricultural career development, leadership, communications, and personal finance. Learning activities are varied with classroom, laboratory, and field experiences. Leadership development and supervised agricultural experience programs are an integral part of this course.

Future Farmers of America (FFA)

FFA is an intra-curricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. It is one of the three components of agricultural education.