Jarrod Bessire can’t wait to bring his team of more than 20 students to the Colorado State University campus for the annual FFA Career Development Event skills competition every year.
The annual competition not only provides his students with a chance to measure themselves against competitors from around the state, but it also gives him the opportunity to visit the place he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
“I always enjoy getting back to campus, and it’s a great experience for our students,” said Bessire, who teaches ag education at Burlington High School. “A lot of the kids have never been up there, and it will be a neat trip for them.”
Interestingly, Bessire came within an eyelash of missing out on a CSU education. As a senior at Caliche High School in Iliff, he had a friend who had signed to play football at Wyoming. They planned to be roommates in Laramie.
“But then I went to the CDE livestock judging event at CSU and saw everything that was being offered in the ag program,” he said. “I switched over from Wyoming at the very last minute, and it turned out to be a great decision for me. I loved the atmosphere and the people, and I felt very comfortable on the campus despite coming from a small town. And I also met my wife in Fort Collins.”
That decision to switch schools launched a 24-year career as a high school ag teacher and athletics coach. He started out in Briggsdale, then spent a couple of years in Bethune before landing in Burlington. He has loved helping build a long-standing ag program at the school.
“Burlington has a program that receives a lot of community support, which is great,” he said. “We get a lot of traditional ag kids from area farms, but also several who live in town. I try to make my ag classes for everyone – an opportunity for students to get their hands on things and really learn. We do a lot of labs, mechanics and other skilled labor trade classes that really resonate with the students.”
Bessire said an example of his approach is a project that he launched recently, taking an obsolete on-campus greenhouse and refurbishing it with his students. When it is complete, his students plan to grow chiles and, after harvesting them in the fall, roast them to sell at football games and other community gatherings.
He also takes a unique approach to CDE preparation, rarely utilizing class time to make ready for competition. Like many small schools on Colorado’s eastern plains, Burlington utilizes a four-day school week, leaving Fridays open. Students wanting to compete gather on Fridays to prepare for the various competitions.
“That way we get the kids who are truly interested,” he said. “It’s been great because I’ve invited several professionals from town to help teach the classes and share their expertise. It’s a nice bridge between school and community.”
Still, CDE is just part of his program. He has 75 students in various ag-related programs, but not all are interested in competition.
“I try to be diverse and hit all of the points because you never know what’s going to inspire kids,” he said. “CDE is a really important piece of our ag program, and we want to represent our school very well. But making those connections that inspire kids is what really matters. That’s my favorite part of teaching.”
