Kansas and Missouri FFA members gathered at the American Royal Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 21 to celebrate the end of National FFA Week.
The Western Farm Show attendees competed in the farm equipment career development event (CDE) and networked with potential colleges and employers while broadening their horizons in the field of agriculture. The Kansas FFA state officer team also delivered the event’s welcome session.
“Every step, no mat, and broadened how big, is a step toward progress,” says 2024-25 Kansas FFA State President Jory Ratzlaff. “Have you ever been afraid to work toward progress because of fear of failure?”
According to 2024-25 Kansas FFA State Sentinel Natalee Bray, who led the opening session with Ratzlaff, “[It was about] leading with purpose, so taking your vision and turning it into action. The point was to get members thinking about what they want to do within their chapters and their communities, then actually take that first step.”
The state associations also took part in friendly competition by gathering nonperishable food items to be donated.
“We come to the Western Farm Show and the Farm Equipment CDE every year because that’s where my students’ interests are,” says Ottawa FFA advisor Allyson Gillmore. “There’s so much new technology here that our students get exposed to. It’s a great opportunity for them to meet industry leaders and look at the colleges, universities and technical schools here as well.”
With that, the 2025 National FFA Week came to a close for many local communities and chapters.
