It’s tax season and the Montana Department of Agriculture is encouraging Montanans to support the Montana Agriculture in the Classroom program by contributing to the voluntary check-off program when filing this year’s income taxes.
As the average age of farmers and ranchers continues to rise, it’s more important than ever that we educate the next generation on the importance of agriculture.
Christy Clark is with the Montana Department of Agriculture.
“Montana Ag in the Classroom is a division of the Montana Department of Agriculture,” she said. “It provides curriculum for teachers to teach Agriculture.”
Clark said it’s also teaching young people about all the exciting changes and opportunities in today’s Agriculture industry.
“There’s a lot of Agri-Technology that’s new. There’s drones. There’s self-driving tractors that they need design engineers and t-hey need all sorts of different types of careers” said Clark. “And there’s always the traditional farmers, ranchers, soil scientists, agronomists and all of these careers as well. So, we want to keep that out in front of the teachers and keep it out in front of the students and let them know that Montana is a great place to live and work.”
This tax season, Montanans can help Montana Ag in the Classroom continue its important mission.
“This is a great opportunity for folks to put their money where their mouth is,” she said. “When they do their taxes, there is a check-off box that allows you to donate $5 or $10 and there’s also a blank space if you would like to donate more than that. There is no general fund tax money that goes toward this program.“
To learn more about Montana Ag in the Classroom, visit the Montana Department of Agriculture’s website.
Source: MTN & Northern Ag Network
