Mankato Area Public Schools to expand agriculture education after local donation Mankato Area Public Schools to expand agriculture education after local donation By Holly Bernstein | April 30, 2021 at 9:25 PM CDT - Updated April 30 at 10:30 PM MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Mankato Area Public Schools will soon be expanding their agriculture education thanks to a local donation that provides multi-year funds for new positions. Superintendent Paul Peterson said the money will accelerate the districtâs work in developing the program. âThis is a really big deal, because itâs such a great alignment to the region which we live, you know the green seam here in Minnesota and across the upper Midwest,â Peterson said. âAs an educational institution, we really believe that itâs really, really important that students have learning opportunities that link up to the environments in which theyâre living in.â