Graduating into the classroom New FFA advisor revives dormant program

By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com

LANGFORD, S.D. –AnnaMarie Sachs is wiping the dust off a South Dakota school’s dormant agriculture program and providing students the opportunity to learn and experience the variety within the eld.

Sachs began as a teacher at the Langford Area School in September 2022, leading the program through an online platform before she had even graduated from South Dakota State University with a teaching degree.

Now, having nished her degree in December 2022, Sachs is working to craft a full agriculture curriculum and course outline for the Langford-based school, get the welding shop up and running on campus, and lead the school’s FFA program.

“Every student deserves their chance to succeed no matter their background,” Sachs said.

Sachs grew up on a dairy farm in Eyota, Minnesota, where her parents, Charlie and Carrie Sachs, and brother milk

120 cows and farm 320 acres. Sachs helps on the farm when she is able.

For Sachs, teaching is not about working through an agenda and pushing to get through her lesson plans. She likes to have fun with her students, creating moments to connect and laugh with them.

“It’s not uncommon for us to just have life conversations,” Sachs said. “I want my students to feel comfortable coming to me with their struggles. I want this classroom to be a safe space.”

Sachs also wants her students to feel the support of the surrounding community, and so far, they have. The community of Langford raised $20,000 to put toward Sachs’ ventures, and the teacher herself has received two grants to support the agriculture program.

“The community has been so supportive since day one,” Sachs said. “I felt immediately welcomed by faculty and students. It’s also clear to me that the administration at Langford wants to see its educators succeed.”

Sachs is considering courses and curriculum for the school based in part on the interests of her students. She said she hopes to launch a dairy judging group as well. Sachs was a member of 4-H and FFA and participated in dairy judging and enjoyed those experiences, she said.

Sachs said she has had enough interest in FFA this year that she could take ve teams to the state competition but is taking two teams because of it being her rst time as an advisor.

Sachs’ experience on the farm, her participation in FFA and 4-H and the hands-on classroom activities she did during her time student teaching prepared her to take on the position at Langford.

“Growing up on the farm gave me the ability to get to know and respect the place where food comes from,” Sachs said. “I have a passion for sharing my experiences with other people, and now, I can teach that in my own classroom.”

Sachs had an interest in teaching from a young age. She remembers being told stories of how she tried to teach the cows the alphabet.

Throughout high school, Sachs said she anticipated her career path would be something like animal nutrition or animal husbandry, but there was an inkling that kept pushing her toward education.

Once Sachs began to think more seriously about teaching, she took action. Sachs sought out various avenues to get classroom experience. As the Olmsted County Dairy Princess, her favorite events were teaching students about dairy