Students Learn Leadership, Personal Growth and Success

WINSTED - In honor of national FFA week, faculty and students from Northwestern High School were involved in everything from faculty luncheons and a T-shirt contest to laser tag and a school overnight lockdown.

The FFA, formerly Future Farmers of America, began in 1928 and is the largest student organization in the country with over 7,358 chapters and 500,823 members. Students in grades seven through 12 who are enrolled in an agricultural course can join the FFA and remain a member until they are 21 years old. The benefits include leadership skills, access to scholarships and employment opportunities. Northwestern formed its chapter in 1984.

"Essentially, FFA brings about premier leadership, personal growth and career success, said Barbara Collins, agricultural education secretary.

Northwestern has an extensive ag-ed program on campus that is expanding each year, driven, in part, by technological changes.

"As more technology becomes available, the industry has seen a swing as farm land goes away," said Collins. "It's less about farming and cows and much more about technology."

Students at Northwestern are exposed to four different agricultural science courses: animal science, plant science, natural resources and agricultural mechanics. Within each course the curriculum changes in a three-year rotation.

For example, an equine program that was offered last year for the animal science course will again be offered in two years. Next year the program will be exotic and endangered animals. The school hopes to acquire a water buffalo for that session.

The large animals presently on site are a pregnant pig, a pregnant boer goat, a polled herdford cow and her calf and a horse. The calf, Candy, was born on Nov. 7, 2007, and was the first cow born at Northwestern.

All of the permanent animals on campus are owned by the FFA, except for the horse, Red, which is co-owned with one of the teachers. The smaller animals and reptiles are also owned by the FFA. The program plans to add sheep to their barn in the near future.

All of the animals on campus and plants grown at the school greenhouse are adapted into special projects to give students hands-on experience and raise money for the program.

Piglets and goats that are raised by the FFA students are often sold, as is lamb's wool. Produce, herbs and plants grown by the students are sold throughout the school day and at special fundraiser events during the growing season. Christmas trees are grown at the school and sold during the holidays, along with wreaths. Pointsettia seeds are planted in the summer and the plants are sold during the winter months. Fish that are raised at the schools aqua center are released into local streams under the guidance of local DEP officials. Entrepreneurial projects have been established, as when maple syrup and apple cider were produced and sold by the students.

Currently, hydroponics, a method of growing crops without soil, is being utilized in the greenhouse and students are growing lettuce and tomatoes which will later be sold.

"We did a partnership with Barkhamsted Elementary School," said Collins. "They purchase maple syrup to serve during the lunches. They have also purchased lettuce."

Ame Steele, a junior at Northwestern, has participated in the FFA program for three years. She has been working for the last few months to organize and label the plants at the greenhouse, as well as build an indoor waterfall to attract visitors to her display.

"I always had an interest in animal science. I didn't really know much about plant science," said Steele. "There's a lot of opportunities in FFA with leadership and skills. I thought it was a great opportunity that you can't really get anywhere else."

With an active interest in marine biology and the work she has been doing with plant science, Steele said she may pursue a career that combines the two, which she wouldn't have realized without the FFA.

"It's nice to keep your options open."

Students from the four feeder towns to Northwestern (Colebrook, Barkhamsted, New Hartford and Norfolk) are eligible to apply to the FFA program, as are out-of-district students in Winsted, Canton and Hartland. Approximately 75 students apply to the FFA each year and around 45 are accepted into the program. Applications are currently being accepted with a March 1 deadline.

For more information about the FFA, visit ffa.org or call the ag-ed department at Northwestern at 860-379-9013.