Celebrating the FFA

From Feb. 16 through Feb. 23, students around the United States — and here in our neck of the woods — are celebrating National FFA Week. Once called Future Farmers of America, the FFA encompasses so much more than just farming these days.

Make no mistake about it — the agriculture industry is huge. It’s vitally important to our future, and to the health and wealth of our country. Right here, in the Harlem Valley, we’re especially in tune with ag-related businesses and lifestyles.

There’s traditional farming — a mainstay of American life. There’s agritourism — a budding field in our glorious Hudson Valley. There’s veterinary medicine. There’s ag-related business. There are many, many fields people can pursue who want to remain connected to their agricultural roots. The FFA helps youngsters explore such fields, and figure out ways to keep farming fresh. 

According to its website, www.ffa.org, the “FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.”

What’s great is that FFA members get hands-on experience. Right in our area, in the Pine Plains Central School District, the local FFA chapter partners with area farms to give students a taste of what it’s like to work in the ag industry. They learn how to care for cows, pigs, chickens and more, while learning how to manage and operate a farm. It’s invaluable experience for any youngster testing the waters of what their future might behold. And around here, there’s a good chance that could mean farming.

We hope, for many, it does. Our communities were developed on the backs of local farmers. And while many dairy farms are now long gone, there are those that remain. We recognize that it’s not easy for farmers to keep afloat these days, and we applaud those who do. Moreover, we’d like to show them our support, in ways big and small.

The Pine Plains FFA does exactly that. It holds its annual Fall Ag Fair in October — and boy is it a treat! Students get the chance to interface with the community and show all they’ve learned through the year. There are horse pulls, tractor pulls, dairy shows, flower shows — plenty to keep even the most urbane interested. What a great way to get a taste of what our region has to offer the world. And it couldn’t take place in a more beautiful spot, right on the grounds of Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School — where countless FFA members have graduated and gone on to pursue professional, military and familial careers.

Though there are 669,000 FFA members in 8,630 chapters in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, we realize that not all school districts have FFA chapters. In fact, years ago, the North East (Webutuck) Central School District had its own chapter, only to be dismantled some time later. 

It’s not a given that just because we live in a rural community our young will have the opportunities provided by belonging to the FFA. That’s why we are especially grateful to the Pine Plains school district for keeping the FFA a priority. The lessons learned through the program can’t be underestimated. 

Students who take advantage of the FFA are smart to do so. We recognize their commitment, and celebrate their opportunity, during FFA Week. Learn more about the FFA at www.ffa.org, and make plans to stop by the ag fair in Pine Plains this fall. And, if you can’t wait that long, plan to go to the annual FFA Farm Toy Show and Auction; this year it’s on March 16. 

Lastly, consider how integral agriculture is to our everyday lives, and every time you put something on your plate, remember to thank a farmer.