It’s National Teach Ag Day and the Greene County School District has a new vocational agriculture teacher at the high school.

Raelyn Harris is a Charles City native and grew up on her family’s 200-acre row crop farm. She joined FFA and 4-H while in high school, where Harris says she developed her love of science and her desire to be a teacher. However, it wasn’t until she met an Iowa State University agriculture professor on a college visit that cemented her decision to pursue agriculture education.

“(I) Expressed my interest in both agriculture and biology and he said, ‘Why don’t you do agriculture education? Because you can both teach ag as well as have that biology endorsement if you so choose.’ And so that’s the route I went and that’s kind of where my passion for agriculture began.”

Last year she taught at Aplington-Parkersburg High School. Harris says she moved to Ames so that her husband could go back to ISU to be a veterinarian. She then heard about the open vo ag job in Jefferson. Harris talks about the overwhelming reception she’s received so far.

“It’s been really great to know the students. That’s really what’s made me feel welcomed into this community is just the friendly staff that pops in their head making sure everything is going well, checking in with me, (and) students that tell me to have a good day when they leave the classroom and that come in with a big smile on their face. That makes me feel really welcomed.”

Not only has Harris been teaching agriculture-related classes, but she is also the new local FFA chapter advisor.