Thompson introduces agriculture education legislation

On Tuesday, Congressman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., joined Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, to introduce the bipartisan Growing Opportunities in Agriculture (GO AG) Act to improve agriculture education opportunities in our schools.

The bipartisan legislation would create grants available to high schools to cover the cost of starting an agriculture education program.

"Restoring a robust rural economy depends largely upon appealing to the next generation," said Thompson. "Investing in education is perhaps the most commonsense way to prepare individuals who are passionate about a career in agriculture for the workforce. The GO AG Act is not only an investment in agriculture education but also the future of our agricultural supply chain."

The GO AG Act would create a $5 million grant program to help high schools cover the startup costs associated with agriculture education programs. Schools could apply for the competitive grants to cover classroom and laboratory instruction, teacher salaries and curriculum development.