Programs that target skill development and career preparation in rural areas can influence graduates’ decisions to return, suggesting locally grounded educational experiences  strengthen community retention. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions that agricultural teachers’ and Skilled and Technical Science teachers hold toward the professional development (PD) and their confidence to teach students to design automated agricultural technology through inquiry-based learning. This PD was supported by the Professional Development for Agricultural Literacy Program [grant no. 2023-67037-39938], from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. A basic qualitative design allowed for in-depth exploration of the teachers’ perceptions of a 24-month PD program focused on inquiry-based instruction and precision agriculture technologies. Ten teachers participated in a focus group and data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. The following four themes emerged: a) Resources for rapid change, b) Professional development with positive impacts, c) Promoting higher level thinking through inquiry-based learning, and d) Limitations in confidence, knowledge, technology, and funding. A central finding of this study was that teachers valued the PD’s ability to provide up-to-date technological tools, open-source sensor libraries, schematics, and instructional materials. Many participants described agriculture and related technologies as rapidly evolving domains in which knowledge becomes outdated quickly. The PD experience provided consistent support through on-going electronic correspondenceand site visits from the PD facilitators. This ongoing collaboration helped build both confidence and competence, particularly in the use of new technologies and scientific applications. Teachers consistently reported gaining valuable knowledge of resources to enhance their lessons and expressed that the program positively influenced their students’ engagement and curiosity. Through the implementation of inquiry-based learning, teachers found that their students demonstrated greater curiosity, deeper reasoning, and more confidence in tackling complex agricultural and technological challenges.