Meet Jennifer Meyer: 2026 Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year 

Although Oklahoma teacher Jennifer Meyer had some exposure to agriculture as a child when she visited her grandparents, who had a hobby farm with some cows and a vegetable garden, she says agriculture was almost a foreign subject to her. However, through her involvement with Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom, she has become a top-notch agriculture educator and was selected as the 2026 Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year. 

Now in her 15th year as an educator, Meyer is a first-grade teacher at Grove Elementary School District in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She felt called to teach at a young age and always loved “playing school” as a child and acting as a teacher to her younger sisters. Eventually she attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee and graduated with her teaching degree. 

“This is what I’m supposed to be doing,” she said. “I just always want to make every day the best it can be, and to choose the hands-on things that I’ve learned and experienced myself and share those with my students.” 

An introduction to Ag in the Classroom

Meyer discovered the free, agriculture teaching resource, Ag in the Classroom, when she attended the Ag in the Classroom Summer Conference several years ago. 

“I was thinking, ‘That sounds interesting—I love to learn,’” Meyer said. “But during one of the activities, they asked how many steers were born in Oklahoma that year. Everyone raised their hand, and I realized—I have a lot to learn.” 

The answer, of course, was zero because calves are either born as heifers or bulls. But the conference sparked an interest in agriculture for Meyer, and a desire to incorporate it into her lessons.  

“I thought I really need to learn this for myself, and I need to teach my students, because first graders love everything with animals and plants. I just tried to find ways to make it fun and engaging. The Ag in the Classroom program works great with that. They have so many resources and they’re all free to teachers.” 

Ag in the Classroom curriculum has been a major component of her class ever since. Meyer said the agricultural lessons have even connected her back to her family’s ag roots. 

“I later found out my grandma grew up on a dairy farm on that same land she lived on—and I had no idea,” Meyer said. “I realized I was that far away from agriculture.” 

Trickle-down ag lessons

Meyer’s first graders—17 in total—look forward to her “Fun Ag Fridays”, in which she incorporates at least one lesson that is geared toward agriculture. Most of her students come from a suburban area and have not been exposed to agriculture prior to her lessons, and they always want to learn more about it. 

“I really like using the Ag in the Classroom tear sheets because they’re in full color,” Meyer explained. “They have activities for us to do; we read about things, and then I let them take them home to their parents.”  

She said sheets include a QR code so families can visit the link and learn more information to deepen their learning, or it might lead them to a recipe they can make using the foods the lesson was centered on. This trickle-down effect allows teachers, students and extended family to learn more about agricultural production and where their food comes from. 

Last year she taught a lesson on plants in which her class attempted to grow lima bean seeds in necklaces. One student’s seed sprouted and he took it home and planted the seedling and took care of it all summer. 

“His family actually started a garden because of his newfound knowledge and love for agriculture,” Meyer explained. “He’s really excited this year to do other plants, like watermelon. His mother sent me pictures all summer of his lima bean plant. “It was just really fun and encouraging that he’s bringing it back to his family.” 

Ag Days, hydroponics and Adopt-A-Calf

Meyer wanted to get the entire school involved in Ag in the Classroom, so she decided to organize an Ag Day to provide agricultural education for all grades and include other teachers as well. She wrote a grant to receive funding and had several experts put on workshops at different stations for the students. Some of the education included learning how to milk a cow, make butter, and hearing how to grow a tree from the Oklahoma Forestry Service.  

Meyer said one of her favorite teaching experiences with Ag in the Classroom was using a hydroponic garden that was bought with an Oklahoma Soybean Board grant. Her students used hydroponics to grow cherry tomatoes. 

“They watched them grow every day,” she said. “When we finally tasted them, they said they were the best tomatoes they’d ever had— because they had a part in growing them.” 

Another enjoyable shared experience is the Adopt-a-Calf program through Dairy Discovery. This is a free program and students can follow a dairy calf’s life for five months during the school year. Eventually the students go on a field trip to the Ferguson Dairy at Oklahoma State University and see how cows are milked and what it is like living on a dairy farm. 

Recognition for ag education

Meyer said the announcement that she had been named Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year was a happy surprise. 

“I walked into the assembly, and everyone was cheering,” she said. “And then my principal set off a confetti cannon behind me—it was unforgettable. I love sharing agriculture lessons with my class and with other teachers, so it was just very rewarding to be recognized for that.”  

Meyer believes Ag in the Classroom can even be a foundation for influencing an elementary student’s future or at least open their eyes to an industry that needs the younger generation to enter its work force in the years to come. 

“If you teach them young, they’re more open to different paths,” she said. 

Her message to other educators is simple: Start small. The more teachers learn for themselves, the more they can impart to their students and colleagues. 

“You don’t have to do everything at once,” she said. “Find one lesson you enjoy, try it, and build from there. Five or six years ago, I wasn’t known for teaching agriculture. Now it’s a big part of who I am as a teacher.” 

Meyer will be honored by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry at the Oklahoma Ag Day Celebration on April 29. She will receive an all-expense paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference this June in Rhode Island. To learn more about Ag in the Classroom curriculum, visit https://oklahoma.agclassroom.org/. 

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].

TOP PHOTO: Jennifer Meyer with her first grade students. (Courtesy Photo.)