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The following news release is shared on behalf of the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau and Traci Curry, Director of New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom.
(Alice Mirabal and Annette Arguello Honored)
Source: Las Cruces Public Schools
Posted by Kelly Jameson
Photo: Courtesy
If you ask any third or fourth grader at Doña Ana Elementary about agriculture, they can enthusiastically educate you. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the third and fourth-grade teams over the last two years, through monthly classroom presentations, unique field trips, and hands-on agricultural learning opportunities across the curriculum, students have developed a strong foundation in agricultural literacy. For this reason, lead teachers Alice Mirabal and Annette Arguello were honored at New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau’s 108th Annual Conference as the 2024-2025 New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom (NMAITC) Teachers of the Year.
NMAITC began working with the third and fourth grades as part of a pilot program to design a statewide school adoption template to provide opportunities for students to connect with agriculture, STEM, and real-world problem-solving. Third-grade teacher Alice Mirabal was instrumental in making this unique partnership happen while bringing in the fourth-grade bilingual teacher, Annette Arguello. “These two Nationally Board Certified veteran educators are accustomed to going above and beyond when it comes to helping their students make important connections. It is a pleasure to provide the kudos they so richly deserve through this award,” said the Director of NMAITC, Traci Curry.
Students have taken many unique field trips, such as one to Percha Dam State Park, to help students articulate that water is necessary for food production and that conservation methods are essential to sustainable agriculture. “By exposing students to local agriculture, students learn how our climate and water availability impacts farming practices and how it plays a central role in our state’s culture and economy,” says Mrs. Mirabal. They have also visited New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences to connect with key research. During this field trip, students got the chance to explore a college campus while learning about such topics as how guar gum is relevant to food science, how various breeds of livestock animals provide specific products, and how vital animal science is to provide optimal nutrition and health. “Opportunities such as these help our students visualize attending college while illustrating how agricultural and food sciences can be wonderful career choices,” says Annette Arguello, inspired by her daughter’s path to a horticulture degree from NMSU. “Like my daughter, I aim to help my students appreciate the interconnectedness of agriculture, the environment, and global food systems.”
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For their efforts, Alice Mirabal and Annette Arguello each received a $500 check, customized award belt buckles, and funding to attend the 2025 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The June conference provides outstanding professional development workshops, traveling tours, networking, and vast resources to ensure teachers have everything they need to continue teaching about agriculture.
New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom (NMAITC) is the educational outreach program of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau Foundation. The purpose of NMAITC is to educate the general public, emphasizing the importance of agriculture for pre-K-12th grade students and educators. Website: https://newmexico.agclassroom.org/
