Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Leading The Way With FFA
Making an impact on a community as well as the agriculture industry starts with “You.”
Attending the Arkansas FFA Winter Leadership Conference this past January provided hands-on opportunities for myself, as well as my chapter. During our time at Impact Conference, I stepped out of my comfort zone, gained many leadership skills, as well as winning a grant for my chapter. From a small town like Prairie Grove to even the Virgin Islands, FFA leaves an impact throughout our daily lives. Whether we know it or not, the agriculture industry is our future. The Future Farmers of America organization is just the peak of a new horizon.
“Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to live, Living to serve,” a few simple, yet powerful words that we as an organization live by. When leaving an impact the words, “Living to serve,” come to mind. Becoming a leader, a person takes on responsibilities. For FFA those responsibilities are giving back to our communities. The Impact Conference encouraged us to design a fake community service project we could use around camp. Five other people, as well as myself, came up with the idea to create a community garden that wouldn’t only benefit us as young members, but the communities around us. Metal classes, nursery, forestry, labor of toil, responsibilities, and food drives all took place in this garden. With this idea, I received an Impact award and was given a grant that will go towards Prairie Grove FFA Chapter’s very own community garden.
As an officer in my chapter, I strive to have a garden that will benefit not only the members, but give back to our local law enforcement and our nursing home. We shall provide to the hands that take on the task of being a hero; as well as, giving back to those elders who once held the agriculture industry in their hands. But for now our hands will hold the future of agriculture and keep it alive in Prairie Grove. The opportunity of hands-on activities will give the experience of working within an agricultural environment that “is pleasant as well as challenging.” Therefore we shall “know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations.” Just like the plow shown within the FFA emblem, we will stay rooted in the labor and tillage of our soil.
The blue corduroy jackets that lay upon our bodies leave an impact themselves. From 1928 when the organization was founded to the present day, 2020, we as members continue to strive for new horizons. FFA is a lifestyle and for me, it is the future. Given this impact award I will strive to give back to the community that surrounds us as well as the young FFA members coming up. As a leader I will take on the responsibilities of “Living to serve.” As an FFA officer I will take on the task of leading those toward success. As a member, I believe in the future of agriculture and I believe in making an impact.