A unique new program at the Northern Cass School in Hunter, North Dakota, is teaching kids about the importance of agriculture in their lives. The Farm to Fork studio program was started by middle school educator Sue McPherson to introduce 6th, 7th and 8th grade students to careers in agriculture and build their “life skills and competencies in a different way than what they’d get in a traditional classroom setting,” Agweek reported. Sue is married to NAAA operator member Toby McPherson and has been a teacher for 25 years. Toby owns Tall-Towers Aviation in Page, North Dakota.

Sue works at the Northern Cass School District’s middle school in a rural community 25 miles northwest of Fargo, North Dakota. The school district has moved to a “personalized learning” model that includes letting students choose “studios” in middle school for deeper exploration. This is its first year utilizing the studio system. Sue started the Farm to Fork studio because the school was surrounded by agriculture, yet most of her students did not grow up on a farm. As Agweek wrote, “she saw an opportunity to open their eyes to where their food comes from and to the opportunities in agriculture they might not see.”

Watch Agweek TV’s video below and read the full story here to learn more about the innovative ways Sue is  teaching her middle school learners about agriculture. That’s something NAAA members can all be thankful for this holiday season.