By Tracy Campbell
Minden Lions enjoyed hearing from Josh Utley at Thursday’s club meeting. Josh teaches agriculture at Lakeside High School and is a strong advocate for Ag programs in Louisiana high schools. The Minden High and Louisiana Tech graduate said that most young adults today lack basic skills – such as changing a tire, reading a tape measure, checking a thrown circuit breaker, and even rolling up a shop door – and classes such as his introduce them to core skills that they’ll use their entire life.
“Ag is for everybody and will change their lives,” he said. “I want my kids to be productive members of society. Ag classes help them be that.”
Utley’s curriculum introduces students to carpentry, electricity, plumbing, forestry, welding, horticulture, farming, and small engine repair.
“We may not be able to spend but a couple of weeks on each topic, but students get some exposure to all of those things,” he said.
