In today’s times, it’s not unusual to turn on the news and be bombarded with stories about violence and corruption. It’s now rather commonplace to scroll through our social media feeds and ponder how the world has gotten so grim. Surrounded by such negativity, many of us can’t help but worry what kind of world future generations will live in. But thanks to organizations like National FFA, I think that today’s youth will be well-equipped to not only face the world, but better it.
When I think back to my childhood memories – many of which involved a lot of blue and gold – I credit my own FFA experiences to playing an important role in setting me up for a bright future. From trips to conventions and contests to classroom presentations, being involved with this organization armed me with the fundamental skills that are vital to future success – public speaking and presentation proficiencies, networking capabilities and, of course, a working knowledge of the agricultural industry. Many of my colleagues at Merck Animal Health are former FFA members and share the same sentiments.
“We are a testament to the lasting effects of our involvement with FFA.”
Thanks to these foundational skills instilled in us in large part by FFA, I believe that many employees at Merck Animal Health are successful partly due to the impact of this incredible organization. We are a testament to the lasting effects of our involvement with FFA, and our company is therefore proud to support this youth organization and its quest to share the ever-important story of agriculture.
Communicating our industry’s story is increasingly vital, with more than 80 percent of the U.S. population now residing in urban areas and an increasing amount of people being four to five generations removed from an agrarian lifestyle. As we all know, this ongoing urbanization has created a significant gap in cultural understanding and acceptance of food and food production – yet another challenge that future generations involved in agriculture will be up against.
As part of the industry, those of us at Merck Animal Health believe that we have a responsibility to help begin to close this gap. That’s why we are proud to partner with the National FFA in shaping the next generation of leaders by arming them with the information and resources needed to bring the story of agriculture to life. In doing so, the outlook for the industry will be brighter – and so will the future of our world for generations to come.
Scott Bormann, vice president, North America, Merck Animal Health, is a member of the National FFA Sponsors’ Board.
