Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
New ag teacher
Michael Heitstuman, a 2016 University of Idaho graduate with a degree in ag education, joins the Colfax schools as the new FFA instructor after a year at Pasco High School.
He started here Aug. 1 and drove with Supt. Jerry Pugh and Colfax High School Principal Carrie Lipe in a district pickup to weigh students’ animals on the district’s new scale.
He met many students for the first time this way. Weigh-ins for fair animals were done to be sure they reached a minimum weight.
Heitstuman will oversee 45 students showing beef, sheep and swine Sept. 7-10.
“This next two weeks we’ll be going strong and fast,” he said.
Heitstuman will teach freshmen through seniors, including all freshman for a required physical science class.
“This year we’ll be bringing an ag twist on it,” said Heitstuman, who grew up in Quincy. He is related to the Heitstuman family in the Uniontown area.
Part of what he will teach in ag classes this year is the CASE curriculum – Curriculum for Ag Science Education – which adds a new dimension.
“It’s really hands-on learning,” he said. “A lot of exploratory, learn how you learn best.”
He has also added an animal science class to the Colfax curriculum.
As a student in Quincy, Heitstuman showed sheep and cattle in FFA and then served as a state officer in 2013-14. He did his student-teaching in Prosser.
Heitstuman’s grandfather, Mike Blakely, led the ag program at Quincy for 32 years.
Living in Colfax now, Michael was set to head to the fairgrounds Tuesday to help set up banners and the mini-donut barn, a fundraiser booth for Colfax FFA.
“I’ll be busy, but the kids will be really busy,” Heitstuman said.
He succeeds Rainey McKeirnan, who taught ag at Colfax for one year following Brian Long, who led the program for 13 years.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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