A non-profit organization started by Fleming County residents in Kentucky to raise money to pay for an agriculture teacher position in the local school district has turned into a statewide effort to promote agriculture education.

Within a short time, A Better Community Foundation raised $48,000 for Fleming County Schools. The money is used to employ an Agriculture Education teacher for the 2014-2015 school year.

“I’ve never seen a community come together for agriculture heritage more than Fleming County,” said Tracy Moran, the new agriculture teacher at Simons Middle School and Fleming County High School. Her courses cover agriculture enrichment, animal science and crop plants.

Adam Hinton, the president of A Better Community Foundation and fourth-generation owner of a farm supply business said, “Almost everything economically in our county is impacted in major part by agriculture.”

Hinton tells us that the volunteer-based organization’s team has transformed the initial effort into a fundraising and advocacy organization for agriculture education in the state.

A Better Community Foundation is comprised of a volunteer board of directors and a team of legal and financial advisers.

Hinton stated that he hoped the Fleming County school district could pay for the agriculture teacher’s position in the 2015-2016 school year, but said that the organization may be able to supplement funding again.

It’s really remarkable that Fleming County residents came together to fund an agriculture teacher position in the local school district. I find it amazing what people can do when they really believe in something. I hope the school district can keep an agriculture teacher employed in upcoming years as agriculture is such an integral component of Kentucky’s economy.