Throughout any given year, Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) members work continuously to advocate for many priorities with education being one of the most important.

By way of a variety of programs, the organization continues its commitment to the educational needs of students, educators, and the communities in which they live and work.

"One of the most important priorities we have as an organization is our commitment to education," KFB President Mark Haney said. "It's important that we give our teachers and students the support they need to be successful and we have a variety of programs that are helping in those efforts."

An example of one of those programs is teacher workshops. For more than two decades, KFB has hosted a series of these workshops that allow summertime learning for educators across the state. These events are designed to address Kentucky’s core competencies, and a total of six hours of professional development may be earned depending on school district approval.

And while a true connection to agriculture is offered by way of various presenters, the lessons offered at each workshop are uniquely designed to broaden students’ educational experiences and deepen their desire to learn, according to Scott Christmas, KFB director of Women’s, Ag Education, and Member Benefits programs. 

“We always want to present lessons in our workshops that will give our teachers valuable information they can take back to their classrooms,” he said. “And through this information provided at each workshop, we feel as though these teachers will reach students who know very little about agriculture and hopefully spark a life-long interest in the ag industry.”

Location, location, location

One unique aspect of the teacher workshops is the locations in which they are held. While making these regional workshops available to as many teachers as possible, often the places where they are held adds to the learning experience.

This year, five workshops were held in locations that included Ivy Manor in Princeton; Hindman Settlement School in Hindman; Barren River Lake Resort Lodge in Lucas; Spindletop Hall in Lexington; and the Kentucky Farm Bureau State Office in Louisville.

"While we have used a few of these locations for many years, this is the first in which we held workshops at Ivy Manor and Hindman Settlement School," Christmas said. “Both have very historical pasts, and we were able to incorporate a little about that in the lessons presented at these workshops.”

He added that it’s important to incorporate a variety of information in the lessons to hopefully make it more interesting to the teachers, and in turn to their students. 

"We often have a continuing theme built into our workshops from year to year so we can encourage teachers to come back each year and inspire new ones to attend,” Christmas said. "The main thing is that we provide something of value to them. When we can enhance the lives of our teachers, we, in turn, will do the same for their students."   

2022 Scholarship giving sets a record

Another integral part of KFB’s commitment to education is its scholarship program. In partnership with county Farm Bureaus from across the state, the organization awarded a total of 556 scholarships worth $724,550 this year. This sets a record for scholarships that are awarded each year to recipients who displayed the greatest levels of academic excellence, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership abilities, and financial need.

As a result of the hard work and determination of generations of county volunteer leaders and KFB Insurance agents, KFB has provided millions of dollars to those seeking higher education during its 103-year history.

Hitting the links

Part of those scholarship efforts come by way of the KFB Education Foundation. The organization hosts its annual KFB Golf Classic every fall to raise money for KFB state scholarships. This year, 247 golf enthusiasts made their way to Quail Chase Golf Club in Louisville to participate. With a total of 42 hole sponsors, the classic has become a community effort, according to Haney.

“In understanding the importance of education to the well-being of the Commonwealth, it truly takes a community of partners working together to make our educational efforts a success,” he said. “And we are very fortunate to have so many wonderful communities, businesses, and organizations that continually step up to support these educational endeavors.”

This year marked the 27th for the KFB Golf Classic.