Agriculture is all around us – especially in a farming community such as Wright County. That is why FFA (Future Farmers of America) is such an important organization and why our local Eagle Grove High School Chapter recently celebrated National FFA Week with a few activities of their own.
Seven students – Shea Whaley, Anna Dornath Cook, Madi Axtell, Sabrina Flumerfelt, Collin Spangler, Noel Kovacs, and Dakota Alt, are part of the organization that is more than 653,000 students strong throughout the nation. They were excited to not only participate in a couple of fun events like a high school trivia contest and sponsor a coloring contest for elementary students, but also offer something special for school staff. The EGHS FFA members put together roughly 200 goody bags that included candy, a FFA pen, and a FFA notepad, and delivered them to staff throughout the Eagle Grove Area School District. On Friday, March 5, four students even came to school early so they could proudly serve up some fresh, not breakfast pizza to the high school staff members.
“Next year we are planning a lot more activities and ideas,” said their FFA Advisor Jack Rowen.
Despite its original intent of being for boys in rural farming communities, FFA is no longer just for students who live on a farm…and it’s not just for boys. It is for any youth who is interested in preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology aspects of agriculture.
Founded in 1928, Future Farmers of America, as it was called back then, had the intent of training the next generation of boys how to feed a growing population. The farmers involved with the formation of this group included Henry C. Groseclose, Walter Stephenson Newman, Edmund Magill, and Harry Sanders and was established in Kansas City, Mo.
Today, being an FFA member includes a wide variety of experiences, including a focus on math, science, and hands-on skills to provide for a future in agriculture.
