If you pay any attention to 4-H and FFA you've probably heard of Glen Jones. The legendary ag teacher will retire from the Miami County school, located near Denver, this summer.

Plying his craft: Glen Jones, retiring from North Miami High School as FFA advisor after two decades, works with kids during a practice in Oklahoma recently.

Jones is best known for his prowess in soils judging. He took home a precedent-setting 7th chrome-plated shovel last fall by coaching the soils team with the highest overall score in the Indiana State Soils competition. Recently, he coached teams in both the FFA and 4-H divisions at the National Land Judging contest held in Oklahoma on May 2. Jones has coached many national winners there, and has won the adult division himself. However, this year his teams fell short of the mark, although the North Miami 4-H team placed fourth in Land Judging in the National 4-H division.

Jones makes sure his students not only learn soils and are ready to compete, but he also exposes them to culture on is trip westward whenever he qualifies to take tams to Oklahoma. Their cultural experiences include a stop at the Gateway Arch in St; Louis; a trip to Express Ranches, one of the largest cattle ranches in the country, located near Yukon, Oklahoma; a trip to the Oklahoma City Memorial to the bombing victims from the federal courthouse bombing in 1995; and a visit to the cattle auction facility at Oklahoma City, which is still an important working stockyard.

Jones has also coached several award winning dairy judging teams, including teams that have taken trips overseas to Scotland to judge. They were able to go on the trip because of their performance in state dairy judging contests.

He has also coached a number of other winning teams in various activities, and has watched as several students were elected to serve as Indiana FFA state officers.

The legendary ag teacher says he will still live in the area, hopes to increase his sheep flock and also plans to travel during retirement.