Dollars and Sense

Finally, a hands-on curriculum that teaches high school students
how to set up a true-to-life agribusiness

By E. M. Morrison

Say "agriculture" and most people think "farming."

"Of course, it's way more than that," says Roland Peterson, a U of M professor of agricultural education. "Agriculture is also business, science, and technology."

Peterson is supervising new high-school curriculum called "Dollars and Sense: Adding Value to Agricultural Products," which introduces students to the business of ag processing and marketing. It's a hands-on class where students "develop new agricultural products," Peterson says.

Available this summer, the two-semester course comes with complete lesson plans and supplementary resources such as videotapes. "Teachers should be able to take the materials, walk into the classroom, and take off," Peterson says.

Built around the new Minnesota graduation standards, Dollars and Sense fulfills the Profile of Learning requirements for new product development, market research and business planning. The course begins with a survey of economic principles, illustrated by the story of flour milling in Minnesota. After learning how agricultural commodities are turned into useful products, students get to try it themselves. They choose a crop or livestock product and devise a way to add value. Then they research the market for their product, write a business plan, and map out production, distribution and sales.

Sounds like real life? That's the idea. "The course addresses the real issues that face agribusinesses," Peterson says.

Sponsored by AURI, Land O'Lakes, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the U of M, Dollars and Sense underscores agriculture's importance and "the vast array of products that impact us on a daily basis," Peterson says. "We believe a good, enriched high school program will get more kids to think about careers in agriculture."