UTM FFA launches National FFA Week

UTM Collegiate FFA hosted the Goodwill Tour Banquet on Tuesday, Feb. 19, which is a banquet used to kick off National FFA Week.

During Tuesday’s Banquet, over 200 West Tennessee students and advisors shared the goodwill of FFA with the state officers and collegiate officers for UTM. Jai Templeton, Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, gave greetings on behalf of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and left students with the challenge to step up and lead and to never forget to find the happiness in life.

Students also got the chance to interact with the state officers and hear their Goodwill Tour Presentation. The state officers hit on the National FFA theme of “GROW.” Their challenge was to grow through community service, to grow through taking risks, to grow through reaching out and to grow through the vision of others. Lastly, Dr. Will Bird, UTM alum and Professor of Agriculture Education at Nebraska-Lincoln, shared his experiences while growing up in FFA and how FFA has taught him three important lessons to always remember in life: don’t let others tell you what you can’t do; always be a learner; invest yourself in others around you and never forget to give back to those who may have believed in you.

Many FFA members find National FFA Week as an important time to spread knowledge to others of agriculture.

“During National FFA Week, it is our job as state officers to travel across the state to spread the goodwill of Agriculture Education and FFA. At the beginning of the week, four of the state officers travel east and four state officers travel west, and at the end of the week, we as officers meet in middle Tennessee. We hope throughout the week to leave those we come in contact with a better knowledge of their food and where it comes from,” State FFA Reporter and sophomore Agriculture major Christy Chicas said.

The week is also an opportunity for agriculture students to travel and learn more about their trade.

“We visited Farm Credit Services, AgriCenter International, Ducks Unlimited and the National Cotton Council. My favorite stops were Hillshire Farms and Tyson and seeing how our food is produced,” State FFA President John Adam Turner said.

If you would like more information on FFA, contact Dr. James Butler at 731-881-7271 or jbutler@utm.edu.