After serving his community for almost 13 years, Milton Harbert is retiring from his role as an agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor for the Estancia Municipal School District (EMSD).
Harbert began his career in the FFA program because of several influential FFA advisors growing up, one being his brother.
“I looked up to them and they were always trying to get me to be the best I could be and I want to do the same thing for other kids,” Harbert said. “I’ve learned that the best way to get something out of a kid is to try to keep them motivated and let them know that there are jobs and agriculture is no longer just cows, sows and plows. Always put a goal and a challenge out there in front of them, even if they don’t reach it, we try to get them to reach that goal at some point.”
Throughout his career, Harbert helped approximately 30 students begin agricultural careers — some are judging coaches for livestock and meats at universities and others are aspiring agriculture teachers. This year, Harbert’s homesite and agronomy team won state competitions in Las Cruces and the homesite team participated in national competitions in Oklahoma.
One of his most important tasks is preparing his students for the FFA creed.
“I wanted every seventh through ninth grader to learn the FFA creed which is a five-paragraph creed that explains what an FFA member needs to be,” Harbert said. “Every kid needs the experience of getting up in front of a crowd and being able to talk to that crowd. I want them to understand, you’ve got to be motivated to be successful in life.”
Community impact
Ryan Schwebach, Torrance County commissioner and third-generation farmer, said his son began attending the EMSD this year with Harbert as his FFA advisor. Schwebach said Harbert goes out of his way to help his students and offers everything he knows.
“I have seen multiple kids come in at the seventh or eighth-grade level and they’re shy and don’t want to speak but by the time they get to be a senior, these kids are very approachable and polite, everything you’re wanting out of the FFA program,” Schwebach said.
Other parents who have come to know Harbert feel the same way.
“He built character and respect in each of his students, going above and beyond for the Estancia agriculture program, never expecting anything in return,” said Jamie Pebley, whose three children have been involved in the FFA program. “His heart has always been in it for the kids and he has left a lifelong impact on many students over the past 13 years.”
Pebley said Harbert has worked countless hours beyond his contract by not only teaching students in class but also hosting Career and Leadership Development Event practices to prepare teams for district and state competitions, preparing for pie auctions and award banquets and helping students around the county with their show animals during spring and summer months.
This has especially impacted Nora Encinias, one of Harbert’s students who was a member of the agronomy team who competed this year and placed first as an individual. Encinias, now in the 11th grade, has had Harbert as a teacher and advisor since she was in seventh grade and said Harbert would come every week to help her with her show pigs.
“Starting my seventh-grade year, if things didn’t go my way, he always said ‘This is what we did, this is what we did wrong, let’s fix it and we’ll win next year,’” Encinias said. “He’s just always taught me to never give up and encouraged me to do my best.”
Harbert said it is not about getting students to win a contest, but to encourage their confidence and make sure they are prepared once they switch from the halls to jobs.
“I am thankful to all my students for the effort they put out to improve themselves and we have some good people in this community and I always appreciated the support that they gave to me,” Harbert said. “But it is not about their Ag teacher, it’s about the kids.”
This was Harbert’s final week and to honor his years of dedication, his students presented him with a plaque.