Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Salute To FFA
Farmington, Lincoln and Prairie Grove FFA chapters will celebrate National FFA Week, Feb. 20-27, with thousands of other local chapters throughout the U. S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The annual FFA Week embraces more than 93 years of FFA traditions while looking forward to the organization’s future.
Local FFA chapters in western Washington County have remained active the past year in the midst of the covid19 pandemic. Along with taking care of animals in preparation for fairs and competitions, these students also have been involved in other FFA activities, including speech, parliamentary procedure and horticulture events.
Th e Wa sh ing ton County Enterprise-Leader recognizes the outstanding programs at these three high schools. Club members have submitted articles and photos highlighting activities in 2020 and early 2021, and describing why they are passionate about agricultural education and FFA membership.
We at the E n te r - prise- Leader salute these students, as well as their FFA sponsors, who all put in countless hours to ensure excellence in their programs.
Being a senior this year, I’ve given a lot of thought to what I’ve done so far in high school and the things that I’ve learned.
After a little bit of thinking, almost every skill or accomplishment I’ve gotten was because of FFA. The ability to speak in front of an audience was never something I’ve ever thought about being able to do but now I’m on two teams where that is a requirement. I have awards covering my walls and pins lining the inside of my FFA jacket. Each one of them reminds me of all the hard work the teams I’ve been a part of have put in just to get them.
I don’t even know if I would know how to study for college level material if it wasn’t for poultry. I’ve traveled all over this state for the past five years with some of the best people I’ll ever have the pleasure of meeting while we sing along to Adele and Taylor Swift on the bus at 7 in the morning.
I’ve learned that winning isn’t everything and that the effort we put into our teams is never a waste as long as we’re learning and trying our best. I wouldn’t trade any of this for the world because it’s made me who I am today.
When I selected my classes for my freshman year of high school at the end of eighth grade, I picked Intro to Ag as one of my classes without giving it much thought. Without choosing that class, I never would’ve been able to join FFA.
FFA has had such a big impact on my life. It has given me so many opportunities to grow in many aspects of my life. With FFA, I have been to leadership camps, national convention and cleanup at the fair. I’ve shown pigs, competed in parliamentary procedure and nursery judging, and the list goes on. Through all these experiences, I have learned so much about how to be a good leader and what it means to be a leader. I have also learned the importance of agriculture through being involved in FFA.
My experience in FFA is something I believe everyone should get to experience. Those who aren’t involved in FFA miss out on so many amazing leadership and learning opportunities. I’m coming down to my last semester of high school, and I now realize just how thankful I should be for FFA.