John Seiser, a fifth and sixth grade teacher from Blairsburg has been named the first recipient of the Iowa Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award from the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation. Seiser, who competed against other elementary, middle and high school teachers to earn the honor was recognized in special ceremony at the annual Farm Bureau meeting last week. Seiser will receive a $500 stipend to support his continued efforts of integrating agriculture into the classroom through his work in helping the students grow heirloom seeds, compost worms and hatching and raising young turkeys. His future plans include a pumpkin patch and rabbit hutch. Seiser is in his 25th year of teaching at Northeast Hamilton Community School District, where he is also the head football coach and has personal ties to agriculture as the owner of Treasure Acres Farm, which raises sheep, miniature donkeys and pumpkins. He has been invited to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Phoenix, Arizona in June of next year.
