FFA Convention Kicks Off This Month

One of agriculture’s biggest annual events gets underway at the end of the month in Indianapolis, IN.  The 98th FFA National Convention and Expo will take place October 29th through November 1st.  The event is expected to bring more than 70-thousand young people in blue corduroy jackets to the Hoosier State.

“When you look at it from a perspective for some FFA members, it's a pinnacle of their event, and for others, it's a launching point of their FFA career," said Christine White is chief program officer of the National FFA Organization.  "So it's an opportunity to hear motivational speakers, hear from our national officers, compete in competitive events. This year, we will recognize the highest record number of American farmer degrees or American degree recipients than we've had in the past.”

Learning Will Be Front An Center in Indy

White said there are plenty of opportunities for personal growth as well.

“We will have workshops throughout convention that students can engage in and be able to learn new things and take that back to their home communities," she said.  "We also have career success tours, so exposing students to agricultural career opportunities in the greater Indianapolis area, so they can go visit different locations, but just to learn a little bit more about those pieces. So it's about really opening horizons and providing good connection points with real life experiences that they may not get in their local communities.”

Participants Will Work With the Local Humane Society

There will also be lots of ways for FFA members to give back to the Indianapolis community

“We will have students that will be going to the food pantries and helping reclaim food that has been donated and helping to distribute some of those components," White said.  "We are partnering with Indy Humane, and they are working on creating emergency kits and leashes. So they're using paracord to create leashes to go into those kits for when they're rescuing animals.”

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