Sioux City Times

U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra has introduced the Future Funding for Agricultural Research, Mentorship, and Education Reauthorization (Future FARMER) Act in Washington, D.C. This legislation aims to reauthorize the Food and Agricultural Sciences Education account within the Farm Bill. The account includes support for secondary education, two-year postsecondary education, and various agriculture education programs.

The bill is designed to bolster initiatives such as the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program. This program currently aids agriculture education efforts for five million students and 60,000 teachers across the United States, including approximately 160,000 students and 3,000 teachers in Iowa.

Feenstra emphasized the significance of this initiative by stating: “Representing the second largest ag-producing congressional district in the country, supporting agriculture education is important to me and crucial to maintaining and strengthening Iowa’s ability to feed and fuel our country and the world.” He further expressed his satisfaction with introducing legislation that supports agricultural science literacy nationwide. "These investments will encourage the next generation to pursue a career in agriculture, help our educators teach the importance of agriculture to Iowa, and strengthen the future of Iowa agriculture,” he added.