Fair Grove High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter recently participated in the 97th Annual National FFA Convention, held in Indianapolis, Indiana, where 13 out of nearly 40 members were chosen to attend.
This year, the event saw nearly 70,000 FFA members from across the United States and its territories in attendance, making it the largest gathering of FFA events.
The National FFA Convention offers students the opportunity to compete in national contests, attend leadership training sessions, and engage with industry professionals. To qualify for the convention, members were required to earn points through various activities.
FFA member Hannah Schwab (11) explained, “In order to earn points, we had to work all of the shifts for parking at the fall festival, attend all FFA meetings, sell 100 raffle tickets, attend the FFA Tailgate, and place in the top 13 for most points.”
Fair Grove’s FFA members traveled alongside members from Skyline and Buffalo’s FFA chapters. During the convention, they participated in a variety of educational and interactive activities.
They heard speeches from National FFA Advisor Kevin Wanzer, and toured a number of agricultural facilities, including RSG Genetics, ET Sprayers, Beasley Orchard, and the Headless Horseman’s Festival at Conner Prairie. These tours allowed students to see firsthand the latest developments in the agricultural industry.
In addition to the tours, the convention featured a College and Career Expo, which gave students the opportunity to interact with college representatives and industry professionals.
Cole Johnston, Agricultural Science Teacher at Fair Grove, noted, “Students also attended the college and career expo where they get to start talking with colleges or universities and receive information from them, along with industry professionals from major agriculture companies from around the world. In some lucky instances students can meet and take pictures with some famous FFA members like Dale Brisby or Waylon Wyatt.”
Planning for the convention began months in advance. Johnston explained that the chapter selects tours and sessions to attend during the summer, and tasks like registration are managed as early as September. This advanced preparation makes sure that students get the most out of the experience and can participate in a variety of activities.
This year’s National FFA Convention attendees included seniors Brooklyn Williams, Mikala Angelo, Elena Wilson, Alivia Tucker, Gretta Morris, and Tony Lassley; junior Hannah Schwab; sophomores Gunner Pritchett and Creek Cribbs; and freshmen Claire Hollan, Cinch Dowling, Lexi Angelo, and Bruce Crawford.
