MILWAUKEE– Joshua Gonzalez, a second-grade teacher and Agriculture Committee Chairman at River Trail School of Agricultural Science in Milwaukee Public Schools, has been named the 2024 Wisconsin Outstanding Teacher by Wisconsin Agriculture in the Classroom. This prestigious award recognizes Gonzalez’s innovative approach to integrating agricultural literacy into his classroom and schoolwide curriculum.
Gonzalez’s passion for agricultural literacy stems from personal experience and a vision to transform urban education. Reflecting on the pandemic’s impact on food access, Gonzalez recalled his grandparents’ backyard fruit trees in Puerto Rico, where neighbors shared harvests to support one another. Inspired by this memory, he now equips students to address food deserts and build sustainable, healthy communities through urban agriculture.
“Many of my students may not come from wealth, but with education, they can learn how to become urban farmers, stretch their resources and support their community,” Gonzalez shared. “Teaching agricultural literacy empowers them to be more self-sufficient and embrace healthier lifestyles.”
Under Gonzalez’s leadership, River Trail School became Milwaukee Public Schools’ first specialty agriculture school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Each grade level engages in unique agricultural activities, ranging from managing pollinator gardens and hydroponics towers to caring for chickens and running a compost program. The school’s “food forest” project—a two-acre, sustainable orchard producing Asian pears, chestnuts and hazelnuts—has gained widespread attention.
“Our students learn not just about growing food, but about sustainable systems,” Gonzalez explained. “The food forest mimics nature, capturing water runoff with swales and berms to nurture perennial plants, and soon, sheep and chickens will help with natural fertilization.”
Additionally, Gonzalez’s classroom fosters cross-curricular learning through projects like the George Washington Carver Peanut Butter Contest, which ties Black History Month to agriculture, literacy and science. His efforts have created a culture where students proudly harvest crops, cook with fresh ingredients and share their knowledge with family and peers.
Gonzalez collaborates with the district’s agriculture high school to create a seamless K-12 program that inspires students to pursue degrees and careers in agriculture. Gonzalez has presented at conferences and received accolades for his dedication to agricultural education.
His colleagues call him “the heart” of River Trail’s agriculture program for his relentless drive to secure funding, build resources and inspire his peers.
“I love that my science lessons don’t always need a textbook,” Gonzalez said. “Seeing students grow, literally and figuratively, reminds me why I became a teacher.”
The Wisconsin Outstanding Teacher Award recognizes educators who excel in promoting agricultural literacy and fostering meaningful learning experiences. Gonzalez’s work exemplifies this mission, inspiring students and educators to see agriculture as a vital tool for academic success, sustainability and community transformation. This award is supported by Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation and leading partners Compeer Financial, Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board and AgCountry Financial.
To learn more about Agriculture in the Classroom and its resources, visit WisAgClassroom.org.
