We believe that all FFA members have the potential to make important contributions to society. Discover your talents. Seek out new experiences and learning opportunities. Always work toward becoming an even better version of yourself. Use your skills and knowledge to serve others.
Kindness and compassion go a long way. This much was plainly evident when Waupaca FFA in Wisconsin created an Adaptive Agriculture course to bring cognitive disability borderline/severe (CDB/S) students into a classroom setting to 
nurture their academic, social and personal successes.
An agriscience teacher created a class with the assistance of two CDB/S instructors, two aides and 20 Waupaca FFA members, who provided one-on-one instruction to 16 CDB/S students. A curriculum and a syllabus were developed using fourth-grade state agricultural education science and math standards. FFA members assisted students with reading, sign language and math, and 12 interactive activities were used to enhance the students’ problem-solving and sequential skills.
According to Wikipedia, integrity is…
…a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy.
Here’s an even simpler definition:
Integrity might be the single most important trait in a good leader. If you want to make a difference in the lives of those around you, base your decisions on honesty and compassion and earn their trust.
The Hawaii FFA Convention starts today!
In honor of our tropical pals, here are some facts about Hawaiian agriculture:
~ Greenhouse and nursery products are the top commodities in the state. They account for almost a million dollars annually.
~ Hawaii ranks sixth nationally for the sale of tree nuts.
~ The island of Hawaii has several large cattle ranches. Cattle and calves are the fifth most important commodity in the state.
~ The other top commodities in the state are sugarcane, macadamia nuts and coffee.
~ On the island of Oahu, dairy and egg farms are a major source of farm income.
~ Pineapple is the most important crop on the island of Maui.
~ The islands of Maui and Kauai also raise cattle and hogs.
~ Farmland accounts for 27% of Hawaii’s total land usage.
~ Hawaii has 152 certified organic farm operations.
~ The average farm operator in Hawaii is 59 years old.
Careers in agriculture sometimes get a bad rap in our society. Many people see farming and the pursuits related to it as “quaint” or “rustic.” They often say that farmers and ranchers live “the simple life.”
But the truth is that, every day, farmers and agriculturists are tackling and solving some of the world’s most complex problems; and, these problems are often related to the very survival and well-being of all humankind.
Take Norman Bourlaug, for example. Dr. Bourlaug was born on a farm near Cresco, Iowa, where as a child he often pestered his parents and grandparents with questions. He’d often wonder aloud why the grass was greener in some areas of the farm than others.
This curiosity led him to become an expert in plant pathology. His expertise eventually helped him to prevent mass, worldwide famine in the 1960s.
Dr. Bourlag was tasked through the Rockefeller Foundation to take a job in Mexico trying to help farmers improve their crops. Upon seeing the desperate situation Mexican farmers were in at the time, he wrote in a letter to his wife:
The 2011-2012 National FFA Officers are traveling to six different states to celebrate National FFA Week. We will be conducting many workshops and speaking to students and educators on a variety of topics. Check out what each officer has on their agenda as they continue to celebrate “I Believe”.
Wednesday night, 18.9 million viewers tuned in to “American Idol.” Somewhere between 5 and 10 million of those viewers–current and former FFA members– may have immediately recognized the emblem Randy Jackson was wearing on his shoulder:
We still don’t know whether Randy knew what that emblem stood for before getting tons of questions and kudos from FFA members on Facebook and Twitter. (Yo, Randy! We’d love to know, dawg! Call us!)
What Randy may or may not know is that for our millions of current and former members that emblem stand for a steadfast belief in “better days through better ways” thanks to agricultural education.
It’s no secret that networking is a pivotal step toward a bright career in any industry. With that in mind – and a chance to win some substantial prizes for their FFA chapter – FFA members in 12 states are producing new connections with local farmers at an incredible rate.
Just over a month after the 2012 FFA Chapter Challenge launched, 12,695 people have logged-in to http://www.FFAChapterChallenge.com to register a vote for one of 809 FFA chapters. The individual FFA chapters are competing for some considerable prizes totaling $300,000 – with the chapter receiving the most overall votes receiving an expenses-paid trip to October’s 85th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. The competition is only expected to increase with FFA members going out in force during next week’s National FFA Week ahead of the program closing on Feb. 29.
This week, Tennessee FFA member Maryanna McClure joined 100 students from across the nation at the White House science fair. She was one of only 10 students out of the 100 to present her project to President Obama himself.
Cacao trees, to be exact! Cocoa beans are actually fermented seeds of the cacao tree.
