By CHRISTY ARMSTRONG
LuAnn Carey, an agriculture teacher at Bradley Central High School, has gone from working on her family’s farm to teaching students about careers in farming.
Though she has a background in agriculture, she did not originally think she would ever become an educator.
“It just came naturally though,” Carey said. “I eventually found I love learning and sharing what I’ve learned.”
Carey, who is originally from Cleveland, is a graduate of the school where she now teaches. Her father owned a farm specializing in peaches, and that is where she first learned about agriculture.
It wasn’t until she became a writer for her school’s student newspaper that she discovered how she could realistically launch a career in agriculture for herself.
She was working on an article about Bradley’s FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter, and she “fell in love” with the things students were getting to do.
“I was really active with them after that and was involved with a bunch of projects,” Carey said.
One such high school project actually earned her national recognition. She was tasked with growing and keeping careful records of a crop.
Since her father owned a farm specializing in peaches, he was eager to pass on knowledge of the family business. This gave her a unique opportunity to test her agricultural knowledge.
“He actually gave me four acres of peach trees which I was able to work successfully,” Carey said.
Her little piece of the orchard thrived, and her careful record-keeping won her an FFA Proficiency Award. She ended up going all the way to nationals, where she won first place.
Her prize for winning the national competition was actually a trip to Europe. This allowed her to tour various farms in Europe to see their agricultural methods.
After high school, Carey went to work on her father’s farm. She also spent time running flower shops and working at a local hardware store.
A conversation with the hardware store owner about how well she was helping customers with questions about gardening made her realize she could be a teacher.
“I always thought I’d love to own my own farm, but I loved teaching people,” Carey said. “I know I’d miss the interaction.”
As she prepared for her career, Carey attended Cleveland State Community College. She then transferred to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she studied plant and soil science and horticulture. Carey has since earned a master’s in educational leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.
She taught at Cleveland State for seven years, before finding her way back to Bradley. She has now been a teacher at the local high school for 15 years.
Carey teaches classes within Bradley’s career and technical education program for agriculture and also sponsors the school’s FFA chapter. This means she is leading students in everything from academic research to hands-on work with plants and animals.
“My favorite thing is watching students grow the plants in our greenhouses and get excited about it,” Carey said.
The greenhouses, located on the school’s campus, are where students grow flowers and vegetable seedlings each year. They then learn about running a business and advising customers as they run a greenhouse sale each spring.
Carey has also been teaching students about environmental sustainability. Students do not work with pesticides, but rather learn how to use insects like ladybugs to control pests. They also learn about composting, aquaponics and more.
“I love helping see the students embrace what they’re doing and find their niche,” Carey said.
Her work has helped many students over the years launch successful careers in agriculture. She has been recognized by her peers as an accomplished teacher.
She was the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Agriculture Education Teacher Award from the Tennessee Association of Agricultural Educators. She later won the Region V Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Award from the National Association of Agricultural Educators.
Despite accolades like these, she said the heart of what she does has to do with the hearts of her students.
“My students are so precious to me,” Carey said.
When she is not at work, she enjoys cultivating her own garden at home, listening to bluegrass music and dancing — especially clogging. She also still works with her dad, who now sells peaches out of the Gilliland Orchards stand on Waterlevel Highway.
Carey lives in Bradley County with her husband, Mike. They have two grown children, Emily and Eli, who attend college in Chattanooga.