Rachel Best, a member of the Byron-Bergen FFA in N.Y., experienced firsthand the effects of COVID-19 on the dairy industry as farmers started dumping milk without a market to sell to. In response, Best started buying and delivering locally-produced dairy products to community members, calling herself the Dairy Fairy. Her Facebook page took off and Dairy Fairies emerged in communities across the state.
Best said it became an opportunity to educate while also doing good in the community. “The Facebook page gained 3,000 members in two weeks,” Best said. “It took off quickly and people started asking questions to better understand the dairy industry. It was also rewarding to see how everyone was feeling the joy that comes from helping others.”
When the state Floriculture CDE was cancelled due to COVID-19, former Cascade FFA (Mont.) advisor Eric Tilleman and his wife, Roberta, didn’t want the beautiful blooms go to waste. They created over 100 floral arrangements to deliver to The Ivy at Great Falls nursing home in Great Falls, Mont.
Tilleman said he was thankful for the chance to bring joy to the residents’ lives. “Because members couldn’t be in the school at that time, Roberta and I spent 2½ hours putting the arrangements together,” Tilleman said. “It was fun, and meant a lot to give back. We wanted to make the most of the situation.”
Keeping in touch at the onset of the pandemic proved difficult as events and activities dropped from calendars. To remain connected, Durant FFA (Fla.) members enlisted their creativity and social media savvy for a virtual spirit week event. With themes for each day of the week, from Memory Monday to Favorite Contest Friday, members were encouraged to post a photo on their Instagram story highlighting each day’s theme and tagging Durant FFA (@durant_FFA).
Durant FFA President Emma Lauren Poole said the goal was to keep the members connected during the time apart. “We’re a tight-knit chapter,” Poole said. “When we could no longer be together, it was really hard. The virtual spirit week brought us together when we had to be apart.”
The year-end came and went in unusual fashion but Frontier FFA (Calif.) advisors didn’t want to miss the chance to celebrate the chapter’s accomplishments. They organized a “Rollin’ Through Banquet” for members and families to drive by in a motorcade-like fashion to celebrate all the members achieved that year. Frontier FFA advisor, Julie Beechinor, said the event took weeks of planning and logistics – but it was worth it.
The “Rollin’ Through Banquet,” complete with the school’s football announcer introducing the members and lights illuminating the sky, was a hit and members were appreciative of the honor. “It was a really difficult end to the year,” Beechinor said. “The members were so thankful to be recognized. I think it had a major impact on the kids. We showed them they will be remembered. We let them know they won’t be forgotten.”
