Agan named new EHS Agriculture instructor

Published 3:41 pm Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Elizabethton High School will have a new agriculture instructor and FFA advisor this fall in Jerry Agan.

Agan is a 2013 graduate of Tennessee Technological University and has been teaching at Johnson County Vocational Technical High School in Mountain City for the past six years.

Agan is excited to begin the school year this fall even with a schedule that may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am just ready to meet my students and get to work. Like all teachers, I prefer to be in the classroom with my kids, but technology allows us to be very effective in delivering our curriculum.”

Elizabethton FFA has a rich heritage dating back many decades. Agan hopes to rebuild the program into an inclusive and modern laboratory for agriculture. “Agriculture is still a vital industry in our country especially in our area. Everyone eats and wears clothing — these are two key aspects of American agriculture. Jobs in ag today are highly skilled and technical,” said Agan.

While Agan’s background is in Agricultural Engineering and Welding, the program at EHS is greenhouse based.

“It’s going to be a challenge for sure to change my mindset, but that’s the beauty of agriculture. Ag is so varied and offers students a wide variety of opportunities for their future, from horticulture to animal science, conservation to business— there truly is something for everyone,” said Agan.

The Elizabethton Ag Department hopes to have student-raised poinsettias for sell this fall with ferns and other hanging baskets ready in the spring.