Josie Kutz shares her love of agriculture with her students
PEA RIDGE, ARK. – For many family businesses, the family usually runs the 9-5 business and keeps the tradition alive for future generations. For Josie Kutz and her family, the family business keeps agriculture constant in all aspects of their lives.
Josie, a high school agricultural educator at Pea Ridge High School, grew up surrounded by agriculture and knew she wanted to pursue a career in it. Her uncle — an equine veterinarian — and her grandparents — successful cow/calf operators — are among the reasons she is where she is today.
Some of Josie’s earliest memories are spending the weekends on her grandparents’ 80-head Brangus cattle farm, where she spent her days checking cows, putting out feed, or simply running to the co-op. It has always been a lot of hard work for her and her family.
Josie’s childhood home in Springdale, Ark., was far from a farm.
“Where I came from, my high school graduating class had 600 people in it and we were in a very populated city, and it was the very opposite of an ag school,” Josie said.
Har-Ber High School is her alma mater, and it was there that she found FFA.
Josie was active in FFA in high school and decided to join after hearing her father and uncle talk about their fun experiences with it growing up.
“Once I found FFA, I realized that was what I always needed,” said Josie. “I didn’t have many friends or a community of my own… then I joined FFA and found my best friends, my community, and my passion for helping people and teaching the younger members.”
“That’s really where she became her,” said Rick Kutz, her veterinarian uncle, who played a significant role in her life.
In Pauls Valley, Okla., Rick had his vet clinic, and horses of his own that Josie and her two siblings grew up around.
Josie’s two siblings, Jenna and Jack, experienced the same family traditions and FFA stories growing up. Still, her success and determination inspired her siblings to join FFA as well.
“Once I found FFA, I realized that was what I always needed. I didn’t have many friends or a community of my own…then I joined FFA and found my best friends, my community, and my passion for helping people and teaching the younger members.”
— Josie Kutz
“I definitely paved the way as the older sibling,” said Josie.
In return, Josie’s siblings inspired her to pursue her bachelor’s in agricultural education and become a high school agricultural educator.
“I really knew I wanted to pursue a career in agricultural education, especially after seeing the impact it had on my younger brother and sister,” Josie said. “I knew after watching them find their own passions, friends, and their own career paths; I had to do this for other kids.”
She currently teaches at Pea Ridge High School and teaches various agriculture classes, along with several welding and shop classes.
“The people of Pea Ridge are some of the greatest, and that has been a huge part of my happiness over there,” said Josie. “My favorite part is the relationships I’ve made with students and hearing how ag and FFA have changed their lives,” said Josie.
In Pea Ridge, they know all about agriculture and family traditions surrounding it, and Josie loves that about the area.
“Pea Ridge is the very opposite of where I grew up — it’s a small and very tight-knit ag community where kids grew up with each other and are extremely close with their teachers, and it’s been a fun change,” Josie said.
Although it has been great, Josie admits there are hard days in the teaching industry.
“Nobody else really knows how hard it can be, especially being an ag teacher, because being an ag teacher is a whole other ballgame,” Josie said. “However, seeing how students light up when they talk about FFA and their experiences, and knowing that I have a part in it is really what makes all the hard times worth it,” Josie said.
Josie is still in her first year of teaching and is looking forward to the future of her and her students’ careers.
“I want to be there and facilitate something that will eventually become something really important and valuable for those kids, whatever that may be,” she said.
Josie is hoping to grow the FFA program in her school in all areas — county fairs, livestock shows, career development events, and leadership development events, to name a few. She hopes more students will join and see FFA isn’t the stereotypical farming.
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Josie said. “FFA is not all about rabbits, cows and plows; it is also about public speaking, leadership, and way beyond that– it is for anyone who wants to join.”
For the Josie family, FFA is yet another connection with each other and a lasting bond they will have forever. The family business, being agriculture, will continue to grow, with Jenna pursuing her agriculture communications degree, and Jack venturing into the aquaculture industry.
“Agriculture is the center of your world – it is what makes your clothes, lumber in your house, the leather on your boots and obviously the food you eat. So don’t forget about it, and support it in any way that you can.”
