Ag in the Classroom Volunteers Named

Illinois classrooms took center stage at Illinois Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting, as IFB recognized farmers and teachers for their dedication to Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC).

Volunteer of the Year Award
In the last school year, an astounding 3104 men and women offered their time and talents to teaching school children where their food, fuel, and fiber come from. But this year, four volunteers stood out.

Diane New of Rock Island County
For the last 12 years, Diane has gone above and beyond the call of duty as a teacher, retired teacher, and AITC volunteer. Diane assists with the Summer Ag Institute (SAI), organized the new nutrition and agriculture station at the Rock Island AgXPerience, and is the chair of the Earth Week fair booth. Her Earth Week presence has reached more than 15,000 people since 2004, and her work with AgXPerience has touched more than 7,500 students.

Randy and Toni Krone Family from Sangamon County
Randy and Toni were instrumental in the building of the Sangamon County Agventure Barn in 2001, and since then every member of their family has volunteered to go to schools to help educate the students with the touring barn. Randy, Toni, and their children Ethan and Ellie are active in Sangamon County Farm Bureau on the Board, Women's Committee, and Young Leaders. Together the family has touched more than 400 teachers and 32,000 students.

Warren and Marian Nesler Family from Kane County
Warren and Marian were part of the core group who volunteered when Kane County Ag Days were started 29 years ago. They have since passed the baton to son Jeff and daughter-in-law Laurie, who continue to volunteer with Ag Days and serve as a host farm for Summer Ag Institutes. Jeff and Laurie have also branched out to visiting classrooms with the Kane County Ag Literacy SPROUTS program.

Teacher of the Year Award
Illinois Farm Bureau also named Carl Erbsen as the Illinois Agriculture Teacher of the Year. Erbsen is a 2^nd grade teacher at Eastland Elementary School in Lanark, Carroll County. He  also helps on the family dairy farm. He works to immerse his students into the agriculture that surrounds them in the county. Carl attended the 2012 National AITC Conference as the AFBF White Reinhart Scholarship winner. His classes are currently writing letters to farmers from other states to learn more about how Illinois farms compare to farms around the country.

As the winner of the IAITC Teacher of the Year, Carl will be the Illinois nominee for the 2013 USDA AITC Teacher of the Year. He will compete for this honor in Minneapolis, Minnesota this June.

Teacher of the Year Runner-Up Award
IFB's runner-up for Teacher of the Year is Cathy Britts-Axen from Central Middle School in Burlington, Kane County.

As a special education teacher, Cathy finds that integrating agriculture into her classroom is a great way to enhance learning. She started a two-day middle school ag day focusing on the history and importance of agriculture and agriculture careers, and providing global outreach by packaging food for developing countries through Feed My Starving Children. As the AITC Teacher of the Year Runner-Up, Cathy has been nominated for the AFBF White Reinhart Teacher Scholarship to attend the 2013 National AITC Conference.

Illinois Farm Bureau would like to thank everyone who helps make our Agriculture in the Classroom program undoubtedly the premier program in the nation. Whether you support the IAA Foundation, your local AITC program, or help adopt a classroom, we couldn't reach the students and teachers that we do without you.