For Immediate Release

Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: July 15, 2021

Stalsberg joins WAAE Board of Directors

Fennimore -

Kory Stalsberg, Farm Business and Production Management program instructor at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, was recently selected to the Wisconsin Association of Agriculture Educators (WAAE) Board of Directors. He will begin his fifth year at Southwest Tech this fall. Prior to his position at Southwest Tech, Stalsberg was a high school agriculture teacher and has been a member of WAAE since 2006. “I see value in the organization and the support it gives to agriculture educators,” he said.

In his role with Southwest Tech, Stalsberg spends time, both in the classroom and at area farms, teaching farmers about the business of farming and helping them be more sustainable. Part of that job includes using data to help farmers make the best decisions for their operations.

Stalsberg will bring his post-secondary instruction education experience to the board. “At the Professional Development Conference I would like to see more farm business instructors and post-secondary instructors offering workshops to those high school teachers who can then turn those into lessons, or maybe it is already a lesson that’s developed and share that with their high school students,” said Stalsberg. “I think it’s a win-win.”

When Stalsberg visits farmers his main point of advice is to try and help them keep costs down. “Yes, it’s a lifestyle, but it’s really a business that we have to manage,” he said. “Almost every farm I work with is family operated, so they really need to take a step back…and make financially-sound business decisions. We do have to dedicate some time to the book side of the business to be successful.”

Stalsberg will serve four years on the WAAE Board of Directors. The first two years will be as the Farm Business and Production Management Program (FBPM) vice president – alternate, with the final two years serving as the FBPM vice president.

“Kory has done an excellent job representing the technical college system, the FBPM program, and agricultural education in Wisconsin,” said Deb Ihm, Director of Agriculture at Southwest Tech.

The Southwest Tech Farm Business and Production Management program gives current farm owners/operators opportunities to develop and fine tune their skills with production agriculture. Knowledge presented and skills demonstrated are provided through classroom settings, workshops and seminars, speakers with expertise in their field, farm and business tours, and individual on-farm instruction. To learn more, visit www.swtc.edu/fbpm.

WAAE is a professional organization consisting of middle school, high school and post-secondary agriculture teachers. The organization is dedicated to helping agricultural educators in developing knowledge and sharpening skills about the ever-evolving agricultural industry.

 The WAAE assists its members:

• Develop and maintain curriculum.
• Provide state, regional and national professional development opportunities.
• Network with business leaders, colleagues and sponsors developing relationships between the classroom and the industry.
• Advocate for the local agricultural education program and industry.
• Provide a support system and mentor program to retain agricultural education teacher.

 

• | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |