AGPROfessionals is Proud to be One of the Five Elite Sponsors on this Project

The Valley School District (Hazelton, Idaho) and surrounding community members held the groundbreaking ceremony for its brand-new, $3.3 million agriculture education building, which will include two agriculture classrooms, a full shop, and a greenhouse. The new facility will host classes in agriculture fabrication, animal science, plant science, and food science.

The groundbreaking event is personal for Valene Lickley Cauhorn, AGPROfessionals' Idaho Regional Manager and professional engineer, “I’m a fifth-generation beef rancher from this area, and Valley is my alma mater. I graduated from here, and now I work as an ag engineer for an agricultural consulting company. My husband and I currently live here in the district and can see our children coming to school here. It's exciting to see this kind of growth, especially directed at our agricultural roots!”

Valene volunteers on the Valley Agriculture Education Foundation (the Foundation), a 501(c)(3) organization that has been working to create a partnership between the Valley School District and the agriculture community to prepare students to succeed in this sector. Adding a formal agricultural education curriculum and facilities has been a significant area of focus for the Foundation.

Krista Huettig, chair of the Valley Agriculture Education Foundation, sees the addition of ag education as a crucial alternative to traditional higher education for students. “Keeping multiple pathways open for students is particularly important for generational farming communities. It’s huge for our little communities to have people come back and contribute to our economy.” The project received funding through Idaho Superintendent of Schools Debbie Critchfield's Career Ready Students Grant program and from sponsorship investments.

At AGPROfessionals, we are proud to be one of five Elite Sponsors for this project. We strongly believe in investing in the future of agriculture by supporting education that connects the classroom with real-world farming. We are dedicated to providing hands-on learning experiences that develop strong technical skills, critical thinking, and a deep understanding of today’s agricultural challenges. This project will help students succeed in their local communities and future careers.

In a statement, the Foundation wrote, “We cannot express enough how much we appreciate the investment in the future of agriculture education and students in our community by supporting our new agriculture program and building project. A huge thank you to our generous sponsors of the Valley School District Ag Building project.”

Construction is scheduled to start immediately, with the first classes planned for Fall of 2026.

See the KIVI News: https://www.kivitv.com/news/magic-valley/valley-high-school-breaks-ground-on-new-agriculture-education-building

Stay up-to-date: https://www.facebook.com/valleyagricultureeducationfoundation