Warren County School District officials are mulling the addition of agriculture courses in its high schools.

We can’t disagree with the conversation.

Warren County farms produce a variety of crops and livestock. According to the USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture, Warren County has 380 farms, with 66,377 acres of county land occupied by farming. Crops are 30% of that land while livestock, poultry and other products comprise 70%. The market value of products sold, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, totaled $26,785,000 in 2022, a 26% change from the 2017 census. Farm related income had increased to $1,619,000, with net cash farm income totaling $3,301,000.

We may not have as many farms as we used to, but the farms that remain are still a big part of our county’s economy. So it was interesting when the topic of bringing agriculture courses back into the Warren County School District’s array of offerings was broached recently.

Gary Weber, district superintendent, said creating an agricultural curriculum would be required to establish an FFA program, which involves credentialing similar to Career Center programs. The plan is a three-year timeline: first starting a club and greenhouse project to build interest, then writing the curriculum, and finally launching classes in the third year. School district officials are investigating potential financial sustainability through greenhouse projects and opportunities to integrate with Career Center programs rather than duplicate programs across schools.

Of course, all of this depends on student interest – as Weber said during August’s school board committee meetings. If students are interested, the rest of the steps necessary can be figured out. It makes sense that, as a county, we should offer agriculture courses for high school students who want to embrace agriculture as a possible career choice just as we would offer computer science, manufacturing or any of the other courses that prepare a student for life after the Warren County School District.

Part of the reason to merge schools this year was to increase academic opportunities for students. That should, in our opinion, include agriculture courses if enough students want them.