Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
It's not about future farmers anymore.
The emblem has turned butter-yellow and Agriculture Education has replaced the words Vocation Education on the familiar navy blue corduroy jacket.
Most current FFA members have never slopped pigs or shouldered their way through a herd of cows.
Yet Warsaw Community High School's FFA has 80 members, the largest roster ever, according to advisor Lynette Markley.
"We're finding the majority of students have no agricultural experiences," she said. "Less than 2 percent of the U.S. population is involved in agriculture."
Now the focus is on horticultural science and landscaping, conservation and preservation of natural resources, and technology and environmental aspects of the industry. And students are flocking to the organization.
This is Markley's ninth year as the WCHS FFA advisor. She and co-adviser Kraig Bowers also teach agriculture and business courses. FFA members take subjects learned in the classroom into FFA meetings where skills for career development, leadership abilities and judging competitions are fine tuned.
"The majority of our members are not going to farm. Our mission is to promote premier leadership skills, personal growth, career success," Markley said.
"We want high school students communicating well on the telephone, who can prepare a resum, who understand teamwork and who have built up a level of self-confidence. The things they've gained from their freshman year to being a senior are amazing. They may be an officer, have won state contests."
And, Markley said, it pays off in the long run. A resum indicating a FFA background appeals to large corporations and businesses.
"They like the fact a student was in the FFA program. It carries with it a certain expectation."
WCHS will offer 13 classes in agricultural business and science during the 2005-06 school year, which include food science, marketing, research, horticulture, consumer products, transportation and packaging as well as advanced life sciences with hands-on labs.
During the freshman-level fundamentals of agricultural science and business students are introduced to all aspects of agriculture as well as to FFA.
"It opens their eyes to the hundreds of career opportunities available," Markley said.
FFA then offers courses to enable the students to practice what they learn.
The supervised agriculture experience program places students in a job site or they can manage their own business.
"We have students working at a small animal clinic, on farms, at an elevator, at a floral shops and with a landscaping business"
Students can compete in a variety of competitions.
"If you can name it, there's a FFA contest for it. The SAEs have 50 proficiency areas."
WCHS FFA members took several top 10 places during the recent state dairy judging competitions at Purdue University. The group has 25 members set to participate in the March leadership competition; a dozen members will be judged as they conduct a chapter meeting, following parliamentary rules.
The National FFA Organization presented more than $2 million in scholarships last year.
Friday, the ag classrooms will transform into a buffet hall as members prepare breakfast for 140 people - WCHS faculty and staff. The annual event marks the start of National FFA Week.
"The FFA members donate breakfast foods, cook them and the Greenhands (first year members) serve the guests," Markley said. "Usually the menu includes eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage."
On Sunday FFA members will attend church together and participate in a bowling outing. Tuesday is tractor drive-in day and, that evening, 28 Greenhands will receive their first-degree pins during the annual banquet.
Community development projects include helping at the Silver Lakes Lions Club's fish fry, a Bingo night at Miller's Merry Manor and sponsoring the Young McDonald's Barn during the Kosciusko County 4-H and Community Fair. Members also serve as guides for the Ag day when hundreds of students attend the event.
On the Net:
www.ffa.org
