Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Celebrating Ag Leaders Program once again shined a spotlight on individuals making a lasting impact across Georgia agriculture — including educators who are going the extra mile to bring agriculture into the classroom.
This year’s Georgia Excellence in Teaching Ag Educator Award goes to Dr. Stephanie Westhafer, a first-grade teacher at West Jackson Elementary School in Jackson County. Through hands-on, integrated learning, Westhafer weaves agriculture into daily lessons using a school garden she calls the “pizza garden,” helping students understand where their food comes from and why farming matters.
From science and math to literacy and nutrition, her approach connects learning to real life — engaging students, families, and the community along the way. School leaders say her energy, authenticity, and passion for agriculture make her classroom a place where curiosity grows and students take pride in their work.
It’s a powerful example of how agriculture education is planting seeds that will last a lifetime.
The Celebrating Ag Leaders Program once again shined a spotlight on individuals making a lasting impact across Georgia agriculture — including educators who are going the extra mile to bring agriculture into the classroom.
This year’s Georgia Excellence in Teaching Ag Educator Award goes to Dr. Stephanie Westhafer, a first-grade teacher at West Jackson Elementary School in Jackson County. Through hands-on, integrated learning, Westhafer weaves agriculture into daily lessons using a school garden she calls the “pizza garden,” helping students understand where their food comes from and why farming matters.
From science and math to literacy and nutrition, her approach connects learning to real life — engaging students, families, and the community along the way. School leaders say her energy, authenticity, and passion for agriculture make her classroom a place where curiosity grows and students take pride in their work.
It’s a powerful example of how agriculture education is planting seeds that will last a lifetime.
