GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Agriculture education is enjoying some of its strongest growth in decades in Nebraska this year

State Director of Agriculture Education Matt Kreifels tells the Grand Island Independent (http://bit.ly/1XyAcIY ) that 13 schools added new programs this fall in the biggest jump since the 1950s.

And Kreifels says three other schools couldn’t start a new program because they couldn’t find a teacher.

He says the recent successes of farming in the state along with the variety of careers related to agriculture have helped boost interest in the field.