Jim Wildermuth, who has served as ag teacher and FFA advisor at North Miami High School since 2013, has been named Indiana FFA’s Golden Owl Award winner for Indiana Ag Educator of the Year during the 96th Indiana FFA State Convention at Purdue University.
In addition to the title of Indiana’s Ag Educator of the Year, Wildermuth received the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and a $3,000 donation to further Prairie Heights’ agricultural education efforts.
The award is sponsored by Nationwide, in partnership with the Indiana FFA and Farm Credit Mid-America.
“At first thought, it was just very humbling,” Wildermuth told Hoosier Ag Today. “There were a lot of very well deserving ag teachers who were also nominated. Knowing that it came from a community nomination to start with and students who nominated me, it was just a very overwhelmingly humbling experience.”
Wildermuth shared that he is only the third ag educator that North Miami High School has had since they first opened their doors in 1961.
“I took over for my previous ag teacher, Glen Jones, who had taken over for his previous ag teacher, Keith Overton, so there’s a long tradition of amazing community support for the ag program throughout our school’s history,” he says.
“I’m sure I have a message of congratulations on my phone already from Mr. Jones,” said Wildermuth.
Wildermuth offered this advice to other ag educators—or those aspiring to become ag educators:
“Strive for that servant leadership and continue to put others first. Just be yourself, and help the students rise up. If you do that, things will work out.”
In addition, the remaining seven finalists each received an individualized plaque and a $500 donation for each of their respective schools’ ag education programs.
Indiana’s 2024-2025 Golden Owl Award finalists were:
- Jamie Earnhart, Central Noble
- Chris Kaufman, Westfield
- Jeff Miller, Sullivan
- Janna Morgan, North Putnam
- Rebekah Peterson, DeKalb
- Kenna Slough, Shakamak
- McCord Snider, East Central
For more information, visit www.GoldenOwlAward.com.
Hoosier Ag Today’s coverage of the 96th Indiana FFA State Convention is presented by McDonald’s of Greater Indiana.
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