By JAMIE SEARS RAWLINGS

Kentucky Correspondent

PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis. — Restaurant chain Culver’s recently helped agriculture teachers further celebrate National Teach Agriculture Day by including them in their ongoing social media campaign #FarmingFridays

During the Sept. 22 edition of #FarmingFridays, followers got a sneak peek into agriculture classrooms across the nation, from Alaska to Kentucky and from Tennessee to Wisconsin, courtesy of four agriculture teachers who are members of the National Assoc. of Agricultural Educators.

For Jessie Lumpkins, an FFA advisor and animal science teacher at McGavock High School in Nashville, Tenn., her inclusion in the Culver’s campaign is a way to give back to those who help further the goals of her school and organization.

“It is just really exciting that we get to partner with stakeholders in FFA because there’s so many people that help us and we couldn’t get everything done without their help,” Lumpkins said.

“Culver’s, in the last few years, has really emerged as one of the most outspoken supporters of not only farmers but also FFA, and in general just being recognized by a company that you love and that you love their products, too is really satisfying, and then to be individually set aside to be featured is really an honor.”

The #FarmingFridays campaign is part of Culver’s overall Thank You Farmers initiative, which according to the company, is their way of recognizing of the “hard work and commitment of the farmers who feed the nation.” Since 2013, the campaign has raised more than $1 million for the National FFA Organization and Foundation, local FFA chapters and other local agriculture organizations.

Participating teachers were invited to share their social media posts for Culver’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat accounts.

“These educators already do a great job spreading positive messages about ag education, so we’re excited to give them to the opportunity to continue to share their stories on the national level with more than two million of Culver’s social media followers,” said Jessie Kreke, senior marketing manager at Culver’s.

For Lumpkins, whose FFA chapter is located in urban Nashville, #FarmingFridays has given her the chance to further a message about the agriculture industry that is very important to her.

“What I like to focus on in my own social media and what I really hope that I bring to this feature is that the face of farming is not maybe what we always think it is and it can be extremely diverse,” she said.

“What I love about where I teach is that my students are of all different backgrounds, races, religious backgrounds and cultures, and yet they all care about agriculture.”

Lumpkins’ chapter is one of the top 10 chapters in the nation this year, she said, in spite or perhaps because of their diversity.

Lacey Short, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Bourbon County High School in Paris, Ky., used her #FarmingFridays platform to shed a light on what she loves most about teaching.

“One of the biggest rewards of our profession is being able to see our students achieve their goals,” she said.

“Anytime we do something that’s outstanding, I’ll call it a Selfie Moment and snap a picture of us,” she said of her decision to include one such “selfie moment” for the Culver’s audience.

In addition to Short and Lumpkins, the Culver’s #FarmingFridays featured Jamie Propson from Mishicot High School in Mischicot, Wis. and Scott Faulkner of the Silent Springs FFA Chapter in North Pole, Alaska.