Proven Ways to Build Confidence in Ag Students With No Farm Experience
When I started teaching agriculture, I quickly realized something: most of my students didn’t come from a farm. In fact, more often than not, they had little to no direct connection to production agriculture. Some students were hesitant, nervous about even stepping into a barn. Others came in overly confident, thinking they already knew everything because they had some exposure to farming through family or friends. Both groups had one thing in common—they needed guidance, structure, and opportunities to see the value of what they were learning.
If you’ve been in this position as an ag teacher, you know the struggle. Agriculture classes are meant to bridge the gap between textbook learning and real-world application, but when students don’t have a farm background, that bridge can feel like a long one to cross. Over the years, I found strategies that helped ease students in, build their confidence, and—most importantly—create buy-in for agriculture education. In this post, I’ll share those strategies, plus point you toward some resources that can make this process easier in your own classroom.
Start by Understanding the Student Perspective
Step one in building student buy-in is understanding where your students are starting from. Many of them have only seen agriculture through media or social conversations, which can mean misconceptions, stereotypes, or even ethical concerns. Others may assume that their past experiences with agriculture (good or bad) are universal truths.
Acknowledging that reality matters. Students need to feel like their perspective is heard, even if it’s limited. Instead of diving headfirst into advanced content, I’ve found success by creating a level playing field where everyone begins with the basics.
That’s where an Intro to Livestock Production Freebie or foundational slides come in handy—something that gives students a shared vocabulary and a starting point. By making sure everyone has the same groundwork, you remove barriers and set your class up for success.
Scaffold Experiences to Build Confidence
One of the biggest mistakes ag teachers can make is throwing students straight into complex, hands-on activities without preparation. It’s intimidating for students who have never worked in agriculture—and potentially dangerous if they don’t know safe practices. On the flip side, farm-experienced students might feel overconfident and fall back on habits that aren’t safe or don’t prioritize animal welfare.
The solution? Scaffold every experience. For example, when I taught cattle vaccinations, we didn’t just walk out to the farm and start injecting. We started by learning about safe cattle handling practices and vaccination best practices in the classroom. Next, we practiced giving “vaccinations” using bananas—an easy way for students to get comfortable with syringes without the pressure of a live animal. After that, we visited the farm simply to observe and become familiar with moving cattle and running them through the chute. Only after those steps did students finally give vaccinations to the cattle.
This process helped hesitant students feel prepared and safe, while reminding experienced students that safety and welfare come first. If you’re looking for resources that do some of this scaffolding work for you, my Livestock Production Unit Bundle provides step-by-step slides and activities designed to ease students into these concepts before they ever set foot in a lab or on a farm.
Connect Agriculture to Students’ Daily Lives
When students don’t have a farm background, it’s not uncommon to hear, “Why do I need to know this?” If they can’t see how agriculture impacts them, they won’t buy in. That’s why making real-world connections is essential.
Food systems are one of the best places to start. Everyone eats, and showing students how livestock production connects to the food on their plate makes the content relatable. From there, you can weave in bigger themes like sustainability or animal welfare, which students often care about.
I’ve seen this firsthand in my horticulture units. At first, many students were uninterested. But once they started working in the greenhouse and saw their plants produce food, they were hooked. The same principle applies in animal science—when students see the relevance to their own lives, their engagement skyrockets.
If you need ready-made materials to spark those conversations, my Animal Welfare Bundle and Animal Behavior Lesson Slides are designed to help students explore these issues with a balance of science, ethics, and real-world application.
Use Peer Support—With Boundaries
It’s tempting to rely on your “farm kids” to teach their peers, but this can be a double-edged sword. While experienced students can be valuable helpers, they sometimes carry unsafe habits or dominate group activities, leaving others behind.
Instead, I recommend using peer support strategically. Establish your classroom safety and animal welfare expectations first, then let experienced students model and support within those boundaries. That way, you’re harnessing their confidence without letting it undermine your standards.
Create Long-Term Buy-In Through Success and Relevance
The most powerful motivator for students is experiencing success. When a hesitant student can confidently handle an animal or when an uninterested student sees the results of their work in a greenhouse, their perspective shifts. Celebrate those wins in your classroom—no matter how small.
Long-term buy-in also comes from giving students ownership. Let them explore projects tied to their interests, whether that’s food production, sustainability, or animal care. Incorporate reflection activities—journals, presentations, or group discussions—so they can see how their skills have grown.
With the right strategies, students who start out disconnected from agriculture can become some of your most passionate learners.
Final Thoughts + Resources for Your Classroom
Building student buy-in when they don’t have a farm background isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely possible. The key is to meet students where they are, scaffold their experiences, connect lessons to their daily lives, and celebrate their successes.
If you’re looking for classroom-ready tools to help, here are a few resources I recommend:
Intro to Livestock Production Freebie – A great way to establish baseline knowledge for all students.
Livestock Production Unit Bundle – Comprehensive slides and activities that scaffold learning step by step.
Animal Welfare Bundle – Spark relevant, meaningful conversations about welfare and sustainability.
Animal Behavior Lesson Slides – Connect science-based animal behavior with real-world handling practices.
Most of my students didn’t come from farms—and maybe most of yours don’t either. But with the right approach, you can help every student see the value of agriculture, no matter their background. And who knows? Some of those hesitant students may just become the future leaders of our industry.
