FFA members pay visit to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON — A busload of Arkansas FFA members was on Capitol Hill meeting early Thursday morning with all six members of the state’s congressional delegation.

The youths and the elected representatives called the Hogs on the steps of the Capitol building and posed for photos.

For nearly all of the students, it was their first trip to Washington.

“Those 45 students literally come from all corners of the state and all sizes of schools,” said Kevin Barenberg, an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Lincoln High School and one of the group’s chaperones.

Although the letters originally stood for Future Farmers of America, the organization’s official name now is National FFA Organization.

The timing of the trip was fortuitous, coinciding with debate and passage of the Senate version of the farm bill.

“That was a very important topic we visited about. It’s a historic day when things like that happen,” said Barenberg.

While in town, the group visited iconic presidential monuments as well as war memorials and Arlington National Cemetery.

“I have been here prior [to this], but it’s still awe inspiring to see the foundation of our nation’s history, to see where the roots of freedom have sprung. It’s pretty impressive, and it definitely allows you to reflect upon the things we have and where they came from,” Barenberg said.