Tag Archives: Georgia FFA

FFA Talent Competitions Highlight More Than Just Ag

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Macon, GA – If you can sing, play an instrument, or better yet, do both, then FFA has a spot for you. As the organization continues to improve year in and year out, so too does its annual talent show.

“The talent show began as a way for students who don’t necessarily compete in the CDEs or things such as that and they have something outside of just the normal agricultural round for them to really embrace their talents and skills that they were given and showcase those to the other students that we have,” says Sierra Milligan, National FFA Talent Coordinator.  “It allows them to be up on stage and really sing their hearts out. I can’t even describe how exciting it is. I work with the Georgia FFA Talent and I also work with the National FFA Talent and to see students not only from our state excel, but from all the states across the nation do so well. I can’t say anything other than it’s amazing.”

Amazing definitely describes this young lady. Victoria James is a Senior at Pataula Charter Academy in Edison, Georgia and tells me she’s a small-town girl with big world dreams. Victoria says she started singing in the 5th grade and has had a passion for music ever since. One of her biggest fans is her FFA advisor, Kitty Bodiford.

“I’ve always believed that there was something in agriculture or FFA for everyone regardless of their background, regardless of their career choice and this is an example of that,” says Kitty Bodiford, Advisor with Pataula Charter Academy. “Something that I’ve always been able to do is encourage students who I know have talent and push them towards this and that’s why I’ve had so many kids participate in it. It gives those kids that have a little something extra an opportunity to pursue music or to pursue that side of FFA.”

As far as experience, Victoria certainly had the edge in this year’s competition. That’s because as recently as October she was front and center on a much larger scale as in the National FFA show in Indianapolis.

“It was nerve racking at first, I’m not going to lie,” says Victoria James, a senior at Pataula Charter Academy. “That was my biggest crowd. Just the Lord was over me, I couldn’t do it without him and just seeing the crowd with me, FFA is the best crowd you can ever sing in front of.”

Like Victoria, Pickens High School freshmen Emma Long also shared the spotlight in Indianapolis. When asked how the talent competition has benefited her FFA experience, Emma says it’s taught her more about stage presence than anything and has even helped her with public speaking engagements.

“What it does for someone like me, is if you do want to pursue a career maybe in the performing arts industry, it helps you learn more about how you are as a performer, because it’s like anything else, you have your own style the way you do things. My style of performer is, I like to talk to the crowd, I like to get them involved,” says Emma Long, a freshman at Pickens High School.

“So, we definitely gotten some more support which I am thankful for that,” says Milligan. “I want to thank all of our sponsors that do sponsor the talent competition and we have some really great people who back us, and I foresee the future growing even further.”

By: Ray D’Alessio

FFA Students Volunteer Time to Macon Community

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Macon, GA – Living to Serve. It’s the last three words in the FFA motto, and it was put into practice on the first day of convention, as high school students from all over the state volunteered their time in the Macon community that served as their host for the weekend.

“Roughly 800 FFA members of the approximately of the 6,000-7,000 that are attending convention this weekend will be out in the community,” says Kevin Jump, Central Region Ag Education for the FFA. “This year, we will be at 12 sites.”

One of those was the Rescue Mission of Central Georgia, an organization that serves as a life recovery program for both men and women in need. This particular project was a natural fit for the FFA, as the kids got a chance to showcase some of their Ag knowledge.

“I mean, it’s always good to do work and research other stuff, but it’s always good to sort of return to your roots literally and physically,” says Jump. “It’s good to work with the soil, you know, it’s hands on. That’s what I really love about it. It’s hands on. You’re returning back to what you did first year, what you did as a kid really.”

“We’ve got these wonderful kids with the FFA out here planting gardens, and not just planting, they weeded the raised beds and they put a lot of hard work into that,” says Pat Chastain, President of the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia. “So, we’re going to take pride in making sure this thing is maintained in the right way. So, to see them and their hard work was huge.”

While all this hard work will certainly benefit the Rescue Mission, it’s also helpful for the students, as they get pride in knowing they had a big hand in improving the community.

“I really think it’s great to help the community just because, you know, you’re becoming a part of it,” says Kevin Poole, part of the Locust Grove FFA Chapter. “You’re not just standing aside. You’re being active. You’re helping yourself be helping other people and that’s truly a great feeling.”

“These young kids come out and wanted to know how they could give back and how they could help somebody that was in need and volunteered their time and effort so that we could have fresh vegetables here to serve our men and women,” says Chastain. “So, that touched our hearts.”

This effort will be appreciated by the 36 men, 7 women, and 22 children at the Rescue Mission that will be able to enjoy meals that are literally farm to table.

“There’s a few things that we really use around here a lot and that can go a long way, like tomatoes and squash and peppers. So, I think that’s going to be the bulk of what’s planted and the guys really appreciate fresh vegetables. So, what’s grown in that garden goes right back in house,” says Chastain.

All this is truly a labor of love for these students, as they genuinely enjoy the community outreach.

“You know, I really like it just because all my friends are out here. All my teachers are out here, my advisors, people from different schools. I can really meet new people, new other members and just having a great time helping people,” says Poole.

Having the nearly 800 members helping out in the community is not just a great message being sent by the FFA, it also serves as inspiration to those involved with the organization.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see and it’s incredibly contagious,” says Poole. “It actually brings life back into us older teachers who have kind of been around a while, been there done that, that new enthusiasm that the student shines is just a bright light to see.”

By: Damon Jones

Georgia FFA Convention Holds 90th Convention

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Macon, GA – It was a celebration of the past and present at this year’s Georgia FFA convention as the organization celebrated 90 years since its beginning, allowing the current FFA students to get to see how the organization has changed into what it is today.

“I think it’s neat for the students to understand that we used to look different, that we used to sound different, that agriculture used to be different, and what they can do is pretty eye opening because if you would have asked those folks 90 years ago about driving a tractor with a GPS or having women owning farms I don’t think anybody would have believed it but look where we are,” says Ben Lastly, Executive Secretary for the Georgia FFA Organization.

Georgia’s FFA Organization is the third largest FFA organization in the nation and continues to grow each and every year.

“It’s really exciting,” says Brooks Fletcher, North Region Vice President. “We’ve seen monumental growth. Over the past 20 years, Georgia FFA has continued to grow. It’s really exciting this year, we’ll break over 42000 FFA members in the state.”

Since its start in 1928, the organization has had a focus of shaping the future leaders of the agriculture industry. Giving them leadership skills and career development skills that will help them in whatever career they choose in life.

“The thing I like to tell folks about FFA is that it’s going to prepare them for success regardless of where their career is in the future,” says Chip Bridges, State FFA Advisor. “The leadership skills, the personal development skills, the instructional components in FFA prepare them for whatever they choose to do in the future.”

To help really get started, the convention had a special guest. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue spoke to the more than 6000 that were there. His message was on the importance of resiliency and perseverance and how the FFA has done that now for 90 years and needs to continue that into the future.

“The principles they teach and the relationships they build among themselves and with the ag teachers in those schools are bonds that will last a lifetime,” says Sonny Perdue. “Ask any alumni of FFA and they’ll tell you how important it was in shaping their whole careers and lives in many ways, teaching them the principles in which to live.”

There was also another special guest, and that was Governor Nathan Deal. Deal was there and made history as he signed new legislation into law. Senate Bill 330 or the Green Agricultural Education Act was passed by the general assembly during this past session.

“Now across the state, any school system that offers an ag course, also must offer FFA and SAE as part of the instructional model, so basically makes our model of instruction, it puts it in legislative code, which is very big for us, but also another component of the bill allows agriculture education to take that three model of instruction and duplicate it into the elementary grades K-5,” says Bridges.

The bill passed in the general assembly without opposition, showing just how much support the FFA and agriculture has here in the state of Georgia.

“We’re very thankful for the support we have across the state of agriculture education from school administrators, superintendents and principles, the legislature, the department of education, the community, the businesses all of the support that we have make it possible to promote and grow the FFA,” says Bridges.

By: John Holcomb

 

First Georgia FFA Chapter Celebrates 90 Years

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Statham, GA -The year was 1928, the National FFA organization was just getting started in the United States and it was about to begin in Georgia. The first to take on that challenge in the state was in Barrow County at Statham Consolidated High School. Here’s a picture of the first chapter’s members. Since then, Barrow County now has three chapters in their county, and hundreds of others have been started across the state.

“Now we have 333 chapters in our state, ninety years later we have nearly 42,000 members. We’re the third largest state FFA association in the nation,” says Ben Lastly, Executive Secretary for the Georgia FFA Organization.

All that’s left of the original FFA chapter is a plaque on the gym of the old school, but their legacy continues to live on. Proof of that was shown at a celebration event held at Statham Elementary, where the old high school used to be. Family members of the first chapter and members of today’s chapters were there, talking about the FFA of the past and present.

“To be on site for something like this and get to witness it personally is really cool for me and it’s great for Georgia FFA to recognize those people who created this program, and to see some of their family members and let them see what’s going on now,” says Lastly.

Delaney Parr, Vice President of the Winder-Barrow FFA says, “I know the kind of impact the FFA has had on my life and just knowing that this where that same impact that its had on my life has begun for so many other people, especially knowing how many FFA members are in Georgia and knowing that this where those people walked and went to school, it’s pretty amazing.”

One by one at the event, former and current FFA members got the chance to share stories of how the FFA has affected and shaped their lives. One of those that shared is the son of one of the founding members. He spoke about how his father loved the FFA and how he passed on that love to him growing up. He ended up joining the FFA in the 8th grade and talked with me about the impact it has had on his life.

“FFA taught me that, it’s like if a piece of land’s not productive, you don’t say, well I’ve got a non-productive piece of land, well you go to work, and you make it productive. I got that value of you take things and you work to make them how they’re supposed to be,” says former Barrow FFA member, Boyd McLoclin.

Looking through the pictures on display, you can tell that in its ninety years, the FFA in Barrow County has changed the lives of hundreds of students and continues to do so today. Changing the way they think about agriculture, and even so much as changing the course of their lives as they choose majors and careers.

“I’m hoping to start off at ABAC and get a two-year associates degree in agriculture education, and then I want to transfer into UGA Tifton, and get my full-on agriculture education degree from there and then I want to continue on and minor in international agriculture,” says Parr.

This celebration is just reassurance of how important the FFA organization is today as it was ninety years ago back in 1928.

“Ag education is still important. These young people are still learning about agriculture. Agriculture has changed, but they’re still learning about agriculture. Just like folks did 90 years ago,” says Lastly.

By: John Holcomb