(TRENTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today announced that the department has unveiled a more relevant and colorful new logo to depict the exciting breadth and depth of the instructional program traditionally known as “agricultural education”.

The instructional program will now be known and identified as ‘New Jersey Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education’ and utilize the logo depicting various aspects of the global agricultural industry such as: the science of agriculture (microscope), plant systems (plant), animal systems (head of an animal) and food science systems (fork and knife). The words “Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education” appear in bold letters to emphasize the instructional program that prepares students for more than 250 careers in agriculture.

“We want everyone to know that while agriculture is the basis of this educational model, the curriculum also includes a larger scope of classes that can benefit students from various backgrounds who have broad interests,” Fisher said. “We encourage schools and school administrators to increase their students’ choices by expanding their programs into these areas.”

New Jersey Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Education serves more than 2,500 students in 31 school districts that include 36 FFA chapters. All students enrolled in NJ Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education programs in schools with FFA chapters are FFA members. College credits for rigorous academic/STEM-based agriculture courses are available to high school students’ whose schools engage in articulation agreements with colleges and universities. As an example, Rutgers University offers up to 17 transfer credits for high school Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) courses.

“These kinds of courses challenge students to develop their full potential and can also give them a head start on their educational and career goals,” said Nancy Trivette, the NJDA State Program Leader, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education/State CASE Leader and State FFA Advisor. “These classes can be an excellent avenue for students who live in urban, suburban or rural areas to explore new areas and expand their knowledge base.”

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Education administers the Office of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Education and is committed to preparing people for the global industry of agriculture with quality instructional programs in Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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