The 2026 Minnesota Agricultural Education Intern spotlight series is officially underway! Throughout the summer, six Agricultural Education Interns will take over the Teach Ag Minnesota social media pages to share a look into their internship experiences, the programs they are working with, and the many ways they are growing as future agriculture teachers.
First up is Katie Ketchum, an Agricultural Education student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Katie is spending her summer interning with Samantha Selness at St. Charles and Stacy Fritz at Chatfield, where she is learning more about the day-to-day work, relationships, and opportunities that come with being an agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) educator.
Rooted in Agriculture and Leadership
Katie is from Southeast Minnesota, where she grew up on her family’s dairy farm. That experience helped spark her interest in becoming an agricultural educator. She has also been involved in the UWRF Dairy Club and Ag Ed Society, was selected as a Princess Kay of the Milky Way Finalist in 2024, and served as a Minnesota FFA State Officer in 2023-2024. This fall, Katie will finish her senior year with student teaching.
Learning Alongside St. Charles and Chatfield
Throughout the summer, Katie has been working with both the St. Charles and Chatfield AFNR education programs. At St. Charles, she helped kick off the first of three officer trainings and has been helping plan the program’s summer agriculture tour. She has also been working with proficiency applicants who will head to nationals in the fall.
At Chatfield, Katie has been involved with Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) visits and is looking forward to helping at the Fillmore County Fair in the Little Farmhands area. She is also preparing to build curriculum for Ag Camp in August for students in grades 3-7.
“This summer, I've been working on FFA officer training materials, coordinating summer ag tours, learning the ins and outs of being an ag teacher, and much more!” Katie shared in her first takeover post.
Exploring Agricultural Education Across Minnesota
Katie also joined fellow interns Chloe, Holly, and Gracie for the Summer Intern Tour. The group visited Christensen Farms Research Barn in St. James, toured the Madelia High School AFNR program, and stopped at the CTE Center and high school in New Ulm.
Along the way, Katie reflected on the importance of industry support, adaptability, safety, and building strong classroom relationships. She also expressed appreciation for the teachers and industry professionals who took time to connect with the interns throughout the day.
Looking Ahead
As Katie wrapped up her week on the Teach Ag Minnesota social media pages, she shared her gratitude for the experience and excitement for what is still ahead.
“I'm grateful for the connections I've made, and the ones still to come within the Ag Ed family here in Minnesota,” she wrote. “Looking ahead, I can't wait to begin student teaching this fall and am beyond excited to start my teaching career in Minnesota this spring!”
Katie’s spotlight is just the beginning of this summer’s intern series. Follow along with Teach Ag Minnesota as each of the six 2026 Agricultural Education Interns shares more about their summer experiences, the programs they are serving, and their path toward teaching agriculture.