Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Program

Johnny Appleseed was a real person? 🍎

John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, traveled across the American frontier in the early 1800s planting apple seeds and promoting conservation.

🍎 Wisconsin has over 200 apple varieties growing at more than 300 orchards across the state! 🍎

McIntosh is the most popular variety in Wisconsin. What is your favorite variety of apple? Let us know in the comments!

🐣 Hatching Chicks 🐣
Students at Stetsonville Elementary School in the Medford Area Public School District used their Ag in ALL Classrooms grant to purchase an automatic incubator for their chick-hatching project. The kindergarten classes successfully hatched 37 chicks and 2 ducks. Students learned about life cycles and animal care.

The Agriculture in ALL Classrooms Grant offers up to $500 to support creative projects that connect agriculture to any subject area. Applications for the 2026-2027 grant are due on Nov. 1!

🔗 https://wisagclassroom.org/awards-and-grants/grants-classroom/

Meet Sheila Kroseberg, a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher from School District of Waupaca . Sheila also serves on our Educator Ambassador team!

Sheila incorporates farm-to-table learning and hands-on labs into her culinary arts program and also integrates agriculture through state and national grants and scholarships.

Sheila's favorite AITC resource is the Curriculum Matrix and she as enjoyed attending national AITC conferences as an Educator Ambassador.

Thanks for sharing your time and talents with Ag in the Classroom, Sheila!

Kevin Podeweltz is a fourth grade teacher at DC Everest Riverside Elementary and serves as a Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Educator Ambassador.

Kevin enjoys helping students make meaningful, real-world connections—especially through history, civics, economics, and literacy. He loves using hands-on, inquiry-based strategies to engage students in critical thinking and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

As an Ag in the Classroom Ambassador, Kevin is able to help students and fellow educators explore the vital role agriculture plays in our daily lives.

Thanks for all you do to support agricultural literacy, Kevin!

Today is National Teach Agriculture Day! 🚜🌽🐮

YOU can teach agriculture in your classroom! The AITC Curriculum Matrix is a great place to start. Check out our database of FREE K-12 standards-based lesson plans.

🔗 https://wisagclassroom.org/matrix/

Hey, Teachers! 👋📢

Don’t miss out—Nutrients for Life is giving away Fertilizer Fun Boxes ($600 value) filled with hands-on soil science activities for middle and high school classrooms. Sign up by September 28th to request yours!

Request your kit at the link in the comments.

Our next Educator Ambassador is Travis Sprague, Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor for the Medford Area Public School District.

Travis uses Ag in the Classroom resources to create hands-on learning and to engage fellow educators to come into my classroom. His favorite activity is Soybean Plastic!

Thanks for using our resources to make a difference for your students, Travis!

Meet Mary Cooper, a middle school teacher at St. Mary's Catholic School in Richland Center and our next Educator Ambassador!

Mary's course load consists of life, earth, and physical science, literature, geography, and religion. Her connections with Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom has helped her share her love of agriculture with her students and fellow staff members through various literary activities.

Mary was named Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom's Teacher of the Year in 2025.

Thank you for sharing your time and talents with Ag in the Classroom, Mary!

Josh Gonzalez teaches kindergarten at River Trail School of Agricultural Science in Milwaukee. He also serves as a Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Educator Ambassador.

Josh is the Agriculture Committee Chair at his school. At River Trail School of Agricultural Science, each class teaches a minimum of five lessons from the Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix and creates a science-fair-style board for display at the end of the year. The school hosts an "Ag Fair" after school to showcase everything the students have learned.

Josh was recently recognized by National Agriculture in the Classroom with an Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award.

We are fortunate to have Josh on our team!