Melanie Bloom is an agricultural educator proudest of the variety and depth of opportunities available to students in the single-teacher, rural agricultural education program at Sioux Central Community School District in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. In a district in which more than 25% of all middle and high school students are enrolled in agricultural education courses and are members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), Bloom pushes students to explore diverse careers and gain career skills in order to prepare them for careers in the agriculture industry, as well as to make educated choices about food, fiber and natural resources.

Bloom’s focus on inquiry and project-based learning pedagogies has helped her design and lead transformative professional development events. She has served agricultural educators nationwide as a curriculum developer for the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education initiative and has been involved in several other unique projects. Bloom serves in several agricultural advisory roles, most notably the Iowa Advisory Council on Agricultural Education, where she assists with identifying standards, escalating agricultural opportunities for all students and promoting agricultural education as a career.

Bloom holds bachelor’s degrees in agricultural education and animal science, a Master of Science in agricultural education from Iowa State University and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Missouri-Columbia in agricultural education and leadership development. Raised on a diverse family farm, Bloom is the product of multiple generations of Iowa family farmers, is married to a full-time farmer and has three daughters.