Students at Brooksville AgVentures learn about sustainable fisheries with hands-on activities.
At the heart of agricultural education are the dedicated teachers who sow the seeds of curiosity, responsibility, and innovation in the next generation. These educators play a vital role in the mission of the Green Jean Foundation: to cultivate agricultural excellence by equipping young people with the knowledge and hands-on experience they need to feed and sustain the future. Whether they’re teaching students how to tend a school garden, manage an aquaponics system, or explore soil health and sustainability, ag teachers are creating meaningful pathways from the classroom to the field, lab, or marketplace.
In the coming months, we’re proud to spotlight the work of several outstanding agricultural educators who exemplify this mission. These teacher spotlights will showcase how real-world instruction, industry partnerships, and student-centered learning are transforming school campuses and communities alike. We hope you’ll be as inspired by their stories as we are.
In addition to these features, be sure to tune in to our Modern Farming Podcast. Recent episodes explore the role of AI in today’s classrooms, share how two passionate women are “moo-ving” minds with dairy education, and explore what agricultural learning looks like both inside the classroom and out in the community. We’re also rolling out two exciting new series—one on the lasting impact of 4-H, which launched last week, and another focused on the leadership and legacy of FFA. These episodes dive into how both programs are shaping tomorrow’s agricultural leaders and reinforcing the values that keep our food systems strong.
Thank you for being part of our journey to grow the future of agriculture—one student, one teacher, and one classroom at a time. Stay rooted, stay inspired, and we’ll see you in the next issue.
Teacher Spotlight - Ray Cruze
Ray Cruze, agriculture teacher at Roosevelt Academy, has been recognized with Florida’s 2023 Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award, a prestigious honor given to educators making outstanding contributions to agricultural education in the state. The award was presented at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Orlando, highlighting Cruze’s nearly 30-year commitment to Polk County Public Schools and his lasting impact at Roosevelt Academy.
At the heart of Cruze’s work is Roosevelt Farms, an expansive, student-run production farm that has become a model for other schools across Florida. The farm incorporates three types of crop production—traditional in-ground beds with drip irrigation, vertical hydroponics with coconut husk grow bags, and a thriving aquaponics system using fish waste to nourish plants. Each method demonstrates sustainable agricultural practices and offers hands-on learning experiences to Roosevelt’s exceptional student body.
Ray Cruze in one of Roosevelt Academy's Farm Greenhouses
What sets Roosevelt Farms apart is not just the scale or diversity of its crops, but its mission. Roosevelt Academy is an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) school, focused on equipping students with the life and job skills they need to thrive. With guidance from Cruze, students manage nearly every aspect of farm operations—from planting and harvesting to marketing and distribution. Their work contributes to an on-the-job training (OJT) program that helps ensure every graduate has a pathway to employment.
Cruze emphasizes that much of the program’s success is thanks to community support and industry donations, as well as the passion his students bring to learning where food comes from. “To teach agriculture and show students how important it is and where their food comes from, it means a lot,” he says. “I always tell people to thank a farmer if they’re around one; I definitely want to say thank you to farmers.”
Roosevelt Farms produces an impressive range of vegetables and herbs—over 3,000 onions, 2,400 peppers, and 1,600 tomatoes annually, in addition to crops like squash, eggplant, romaine lettuce, and fragrant herbs such as peppermint, rosemary, and oregano. The harvest is sold within hours to Roosevelt’s teachers and the Lake Wales Care Center, connecting students directly with their community.
If you’d like to support this inspiring program and enjoy fresh, student-grown produce, reach out to Ray Cruze at ray.cruze@polk-fl.net. Your support helps cultivate the next generation of skilled agricultural professionals.
Career Spotlight
If you’ve never heard of an agronomist, you’re not alone—but chances are, you benefit from their work every time you sit down to a meal. Agronomists are behind-the-scenes experts who help farmers grow healthier, more productive crops by blending science, technology, and practical field knowledge. They monitor soil health, track crop diseases, and recommend the best strategies for planting, fertilizing, and protecting our food. In short, they help make agriculture more efficient and sustainable—something that’s increasingly vital as the world’s population grows.
This isn’t just a job for people who grew up on a farm. In fact, many agronomists come from a variety of backgrounds and work with large farms, seed companies, government agencies, and even universities. Their days might include field scouting, analyzing soil samples, or testing new technologies to improve crop yields. The work is hands-on, meaningful, and rooted in science—a great match for someone who enjoys problem-solving, the outdoors, and making a real-world impact.
Even if you’re not looking for a career change, this is a field worth knowing about—especially if you have children or young relatives interested in science, technology, or the environment. A career in agronomy offers stability, variety, and the chance to contribute to the global food system. High schoolers with strengths in biology, chemistry, math, or even computer science might find this field surprisingly rewarding.
As the demand for food, sustainability, and innovation grows, agronomists are more important than ever. Introducing young people to this field could plant the seed for a fulfilling, future-proof career.
