Aug 26, 2026
Story Submitted by Rosa Sondag, CD Agriculture Instructor
There is nothing better than starting off the school year networking with agriculture instructors that have a passion for learning, growth, and success! We were given the opportunity, through a grant provided by RPP (Regional Partnership Planning), to travel with twelve agriculture instructors from South Central and Southwest Iowa to do just this! We had the opportunity to travel to Kirkwood Community College where Brad Kinsinger, Dean of Agriculture & Hospitality Arts, was able to share all of the opportunities offered as part of Kirkwood Agriculture! It was exciting to see the growth that Kirkwood has experienced and to hear about what is still to come due to the amazing support of the community and agriculture industry! From there we headed to Kalona, IA where we checked out the Golden Delight Bakery, Kalona Chocolates, Farmers Hen House, and Kalona Creamery.
We finished our 2-day professional development at the Muscatine Agriculture Learning Center where Ashley Wiebe and Sam Paul, along with their nutrition students, allowed us to tour their facility learning about all of the opportunities they offer in their agriculture program! A few of these included horse therapy, vet tech programs, hands-on learning with large and small animals, raising livestock, operating equipment, gardening, sweet corn production, and beekeeping! It was impressive to see all they are able to offer and the hands-on learning provided to their students! We are thankful to RPP for providing this opportunity to our group, and thankful for Blake Anderson for completing the grant and always encouraging us in our growth as agriculture educators!