WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The Governor’s Council on Agricultural Education (GCAE) last week hosted its Summit on Agricultural Education in West Des Moines to explore ways to address the shortage of Iowa teachers in agricultural education.

“The purpose of this summit (was) to provide a forum for leaders and stakeholders to share a vision of the role of education in the future of agriculture,” said Robert Martin, who chairs GCAE and heads Iowa State University (ISU)’s agricultural education and studies department.

Established in 2000 by the Iowa Legislature, the GCAE is an advisory council that studies and makes recommendations for the improvement of Iowa’s agricultural education. Sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the theme of the 2007 summit, entitled Creating Life-changing Opportunities through Agriculture, Food & Natural Resource Education, focused on how to activate The Grand Plan for Agricultural Education in Iowa, which outlines goals to improve Iowa’s agricultural education.

The IFBF had chosen to get involved in the summit because officials said agricultural education bolsters learning in other classes, helps direct students to career paths in agriculture-related jobs and provides opportunities to boost Iowa’s high schools’ math and science offerings through agricultural education.

According to Martin, enrollment in agricultural education programs in the state’s 242 high school agriculture programs is at an all-time low, just when baby boomers are starting to reti