The summer months provide a welcome opportunity for FFA chapters to do good in their communities. These three FFA chapters share how they take advantage.
Eden Valley-Watkins FFA in Minnesota provides its communities with access to fresh, local produce each summer through its apple orchard. Established in 2013 with a Food For All Grant, the apple orchard contains 40 apple trees in several varieties, including Honeycrisp, Zestar, Sweet Sixteen, Connell Red and more.
“FFA members lead the apple production process from spring until harvest by taking care of the orchard, advertising and processing customer orders,” says Tyler Warren, agriculture teacher and Eden Valley-Watkins FFA advisor. “Spring provides opportunities to learn about apple production, including fertilizing and pest prevention. Fall provides more of an opportunity to learn about business elements including advertising, customer service and processing orders.”
Members experience the apple-growing season and business cycle from start to finish, and they work with local media and community members who receive the apples.
“They learn record keeping, communication skills, advertising skills, customer service and business principles they can apply in their future,” Warren says. “They also track inputs and outputs for each growing season.”
Coalinga FFA in California has been helping address hunger by delivering meals to food-insecure people locally. Its meal delivery project began in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A significant portion of our school district is food insecure and relies on the school district for up to three meals daily,” says Kelley Mellott, Coalinga FFA advisor. “The Coalinga FFA Chapter collaborated with the Coalinga Huron Unified District Administration, Transportation and Food Service to begin delivering meals. We delivered meals weekly, with several bus routes covering up to 50 miles round trip.”
More than one-third of Coalinga FFA members were involved in the delivery project that continued through the summer of 2020 and into the 2020-2021 school year.
“The project addressed food insecurity created by the pandemic and opened our members’ eyes to the need that exists within their community,” Mellott says. “Members were exposed to extreme poverty, socioeconomically disadvantaged peers and the reality of food scarcity in their own community. It gave them the drive to continue to serve and make a positive impact in their community.”
Coalinga FFA hopes to continue its involvement by starting a garden and raising egg-laying hens, hands-on projects that will produce fresh food to donate to community members.
Owasso FFA Alumni Association in Oklahoma honors first responders at its annual car show. Held the second Saturday in August, the Owasso FFA Alumni Car Show has become a highly anticipated tradition in the community, attracting close to 1,000 spectators. The car show began in 2010 and has grown to feature several hundred cars as well as local food trucks, a SWAT truck, fire truck and DJ. It takes place in the parking lot of Owasso High School.
“We are going to try to add a tractor show along with the cars and motorcycles this year, and have a few more food trucks,” says Bridget Vogt, treasurer for the Owasso FFA Alumni Association. “This event brings the community together and introduces many of the FFA students to various community supporters. FFA members volunteer alongside parents and board members and gain valuable experience.”
The Owasso FFA Alumni Association plans to use a portion of the car show proceeds to build a greenhouse for students interested in agronomy. It also use the funds to help students with leadership projects and other needs brought to its attention by FFA advisors.
“Our support of FFA benefits our community by allowing as many students as possible to be part of the organization,” Vogt says. “We see what FFA does for students. What they learn through FFA they’ll use to impact their community and their future.”
