Mallory Jenness is no ordinary Ag teacher. When she walks into her agriculture classroom at Martinsville, she’s not just teaching students about soybeans, Punnett Squares, or parliamentary procedure. She’s carrying forward a tradition of ag education that nearly went dormant—and giving it new life for the next generation.

A Circuitous Path to the Classroom

Jenness didn’t set out to be a teacher. A Newton High School graduate, she grew up on her family’s small corn and soybean farm, always certain agriculture would shape her life. In high school she threw herself into FFA leadership, serving as Section 20 president and nearly reaching state office. When she missed the cut for the top 10, she pivoted, heading first to Lakeland College and then to the University of Illinois.

“I wasn’t going to go to one of the best ag colleges in the country and not take ag,” she recalled. So, she majored in crop science with a minor in ag business, even working in the soybean breeding program. Her plan was to build a career in seed sales. She nearly did—until she realized she didn’t want to spend her life behind a desk or competing against her husband in sales territories.

Instead, she found her way into ag education. “I thought, what’s the worst they can say? No? I already had a job,” she laughed. Kansas, Illinois, said yes, and Mallory began teaching there. Eight years later, when her husband’s career brought the family into Clark County, Martinsville had an opening. She answered what she calls a “God nudge,” stepping into a program that had slowed almost to a stop.

Her timing mattered. Longtime ag teacher Myron Nave had once made Martinsville’s FFA a powerhouse, but after he left, the program waned. Teachers stretched thin between industrial arts and ag eventually burned out, leaving little momentum for students.

“When I got here, kids didn’t know what it was like to go [to FFA events],” Jenness said. “We had to start small—just go to a contest, see what it’s about. Winning wasn’t the expectation.” Bit by bit, she rebuilt.

The results show. At their first full chapter meeting this fall, more than 30 students packed the ag room—so many that it was hard to stand. Between Mallory and Industrial Arts/Co-Agricultural teacher Josh Stowers, 70 to 75 Martinsville High School students were involved in ag or FFA activities last year, representing as much as 80 percent of the student body.

Ag Education Beyond “Cows, Plows, and Sows”

Jenness is quick to dispel the myth that FFA is just for farm kids. “Less than 2 percent of people in agriculture today are actually growing something,” she explained. “It’s not just cows, plows, and sows anymore.”

Her students explore everything from forestry to food science to commodity marketing. One of her favorite exercises begins with a simple meal from McDonald’s, breaking it down ingredient by ingredient. “We trace it all back—bread to wheat, Big Macs to beef cattle, even stearic acid from carcasses holding tires together,” she said. “So, you can’t even drive to McDonald’s without agriculture.”

For Jenness, the bigger lesson is confidence. Students learn to speak in public, chair meetings, and call community partners for events like the Autumn Market. “They don’t want to make that first phone call, but once they do, they realize it’s not so bad,” she said. “Those skills carry far beyond this classroom.”

Mallory’s impact doesn’t end in the ag room. She’s been a junior high basketball assistant coach for five years, filled in as a softball coach, and served as a classroom mom for her children’s classes. Her three kids—Samantha, Ben, and John—are all part of Martinsville Schools, and she sees the community through both teacher and parent eyes.

“I’m a team player, loyal through and through,” she said. “It’s not just about my kids. I want all these kids to succeed. That’s what’s special about Martinsville.”

Though not a native, she now feels rooted in the town. “When I first got here, I didn’t know anyone. But moms would come sit by me at games and chat like I’d always been here. That’s Martinsville. It really is like family.”

The Three Circles of Ag Education

In ag education, success is measured in what’s called “the three circles”: classroom instruction, FFA involvement, and Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). “When I came, there weren’t really any circles other than the classroom,” Jenness admitted. “It took about four years to build it up. Now we’re solid on FFA, and SAE is coming along.”

Her long-term goal is a fully balanced program. That means students leave Martinsville not just with knowledge of agriculture, but with leadership skills, real-world problem-solving ability, and an appreciation for the backbone of the country.

“Agriculture is in everything you touch,” she said. “I want our kids to see that. And I want them to leave Martinsville as more confident, capable versions of themselves.”

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