West Liberty’s Zach Morris named Iowa’s 2026 Golden Owl Award Winner

Standing in front of more than 7,000 FFA members at Hilton Coliseum with his fellow Golden Owl Award finalists, West Liberty High School agricultural education instructor Zach Morris took one modest step forward into the spotlight as his name was read as the 2026 Golden Owl Award winner last week.

Presented at the 98th Iowa FFA State Leadership Conference and sponsored by Nationwide Insurance through the Iowa FFA Foundation, the Golden Owl Award recognizes outstanding work in agricultural education and promotes the importance of the field. Iowa is one of 15 states that honors its top agriculture educator with the Golden Owl Award that includes a $3,000 prize.

This year, a record 834 nominations were submitted for 129 exceptional agriculture educators in secondary and postsecondary education. Of those 834 submissions, more than a quarter were in support of Morris, with plaudits streaming in from students, colleagues, parents and the community.  

“I have seen Zach grow from a nervous high school student to an outstanding leader and confident educator,” said Iowa Department of Education Education Program Consultant and State FFA Advisor Alan Spencer. “Like all 302 ag educators in Iowa, he is a fantastic leader in his community. I was very proud to see Zach and each of the six other Golden Owl Award finalists on stage at the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference this year.”

Nominations for Morris noted that he helps ‘quiet’ students find a voice and confidence. That he invests in the whole student and teaches confidence, integrity and hard work while giving endlessly of his time and energy with mentorship that extends beyond graduation.

“I appreciate a program like the Golden Owl because ag teachers work really hard and spend a lot of hours doing amazing things with students,” Morris said. “I was thankful when I was president of the Iowa Association of Agricultural Educators (IAAE) to meet so many ag teachers across the state who do so many amazing things. Every program is so unique and has a unique connection to its community.”

That connection to the community has entrenched Morris in his position as he wraps up his 15th year in teaching, all at West Liberty, a place he hopes to spend his entire career.

“Back in the day, the agriculture teacher was one of the foundational people in a community with the basic knowledge of how to grow and provide food,” Morris said. “ I think some of that magic is still there today. It’s not my program, it’s our community’s program. Success is a team effort.”

The success begins in the hallways of West Liberty High School with an administration, colleagues, students and parents who believe in the benefits of agricultural education and FFA in serving the community where Morris works in tandem with fellow agricultural instructor Elyse Buysse. Buysse’s roots in the program and community also run deep, as the West Liberty graduate served as the FFA chapter president under Morris’ guidance.

Together, they have strengthened West Liberty’s FFA Chapter to include a record 133 members. The chapter was recently named an outstanding program for 2026 by IAAE and selected as a State Superior Chapter Award recipient by the National FFA Organization. That growth has been driven by Morris’ legacy, as many of his current students are the siblings of former students with entire families matriculating through his program and becoming more aware of the impact FFA has on their students' growth and development.

“Mr. Morris has steadily increased the enrollment in ag classes and participation in FFA over his 15 years,” said West Liberty High School principal Brenda Arthur-Miller. “He is never content with the status quo and is always looking for ways to help students be the most successful they can as well as helping the program and the FFA chapter be innovative and forward thinking. Mr. Morris has built strong relationships and has a stellar reputation with families and within the community.”

Morris’ future in agriculture and FFA began in the same place as many, the family farm. There he spent most of his youth in Hudson, Iowa, where he attended Hudson High School before moving to Anamosa his senior year and eventually attending Iowa State University. At both high schools, ag educators Dennis Deppe (Hudson) and Ryan Holthaus (Anamosa) helped nurture Morris’ childhood in agriculture into a lifelong passion through FFA.

While working at a veterinary clinic in high school, Morris aspired to be a veterinarian. But his experience with FFA would change that path. In serving as the state FFA secretary, Morris discovered he loved participating in planning the state leadership conference and traveling across the state to collaborate with and celebrate other FFA chapters and members. When someone noticed this newfound passion, they recommended Morris look into becoming an ag educator.

Following that advice ultimately set Morris on a path and journey that led him to stand in the spotlight before thousands of FFA members celebrating him as Iowa’s top agricultural teacher, a path he encourages others to follow.

“We need the most talented people to teach the skills of the future,” Morris said. ”Anyone who has a passion for helping others, we really need those people teaching. There are so many intangible rewards to teaching, and we need the best of the best teaching to make the best. That’s what this teaching gig is all about, and it is so worth it.”