Highland FFA attends national convention

The following is an update on Highland High School’s FFA Chapter, which includes summaries of the group’s October activities such as hosting its annual Barnwarming, hosting district and state FFA officers, and attending the National FFA Convention in Indianopolis.

Getting to know each other at Barnwarming

Written by Kerra Longbine, Highland FFA 2022-2023 Reporter

Highland FFA has had a very busy and crazy few weeks, but this last weekend on October 8, 2022, our members took time out of their busy schedules to gather and get to know each other better at our annual Barnwarming. Barnwarming is the first event that we hold every year that helps all of our members get to know each other outside of the school setting.

This year we had 37 out of our 45 members in attendance. The Barnwarming Committee played a huge role in putting the event together and spreading the word to all 45 members of the chapter. The 10 members on the committee choose the location, the meal, organize the barnwarming king and queen nominations, and all the activities that would be available at the event. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., members brought food and we fired up the grill while everyone talked and played outdoor games. Once everything was ready all the members filled their plates and sat around the tables laughing and sharing FFA stories.

After dinner, chapter members were voted on to receive the Barnwarming King and Queen titles, carve pumpkins and begin our annual bags tournament. The kings and queens are voted on for each grade by each member in attendance. The kings and queens receive a candy cup, a “crown,” a sash, and bragging rights until the next barnwarming. The event was a huge success again this year and we thank all those who attended. We hope everyone had a great time and are excited for the year ahead.

–

Greenhand Fire-Up Conference

Written by the Iowa FFA Association, Press Release for October 14, 2022

Each year the Southeast District and Iowa FFA officers plan and facilitate Greenhand Fire Up Conferences for FFA members in the Southeast district. Clear Creek Amana welcomed FFA chapters from all over the SE district on October 14, 2022. While at Clear Creek Amana on October 14, 2022, district and state officers lead four interactive workshops for first year high school FFA members, also known as Greenhands, for the annual Greenhand Fire Up Conference.

The workshops facilitated were leadership focused with an emphasis on the experiences that occur in the lives of beginning high school students. Iowa FFA President, Sam Martin, stated, “Greenhand Fire Up provides a chance for first-year high school members to get a sneak peek of the opportunities that FFA holds, and is a conference for members to meet and interact with state and district officers.”

The officers prepared and facilitated workshops of: authenticity, balancing priorities, communication, and FFA opportunities – in order to provide the first-year FFA members with skills they would use both within and outside of FFA. The goal was to engage FFA members in learning about the tools that would allow them to be successful in anything they are part of through high school and beyond. Greenhand Fire Up is made possible with support from the Iowa FFA Foundation.

Highland FFA first year high school students attended the Greenhand Fire-Up conference.

–

Hosting District and State FFA Associations

Written by Highland FFA Reporter, Kerra Longbine, Advisor Gina Trower, and Iowa FFA Association Intern Tieryn Tucker

Highland FFA had the honor of having several guests in their building Friday, October 21, 2022, from the District and State FFA Associations. Coming to us from the State FFA Association is State FFA Officer, Annie Bower. Annie is originally from the West Branch FFA Chapter, and is currently representing the Iowa FFA Association as the SE State Vice President. Representing the SE District as the District FFA Reporter is Emma Humphreys. Emma is originally from Columbus Junction and is a senior at the high school in Columbus Junction this year. Columbus Junction is one of Highland FFA’s neighboring chapters. Lastly, representing SE Iowa is Kyle Harold. Kyle is a senior this year in the West Branch FFA. The Highland FFA is so grateful to be able to bring these three amazing individuals into the school.

The District and State officers did a great job teaching our seventh and eighth grade members about teamwork, leadership, and they even helped with some recruitment activities for FFA. The seventh and eighth grade students learned about FFA, careers in agriculture, how they can be a better leader and SAEs or Supervised Agricultural Experiences. The officers did activities such as building the tallest tower where students learned that it wasn’t a competition but it was actually about combining all of their materials together to make the “tallest tower” as a team.

While the Iowa FFA officers serve throughout the year, they act as ambassadors for agriculture and FFA programs all over the state. They travel to FFA chapters throughout the state to connect with members and talk about the many opportunities available to students enrolled in agricultural education. Agricultural education incorporates three aspects of learning. The classroom provides basic knowledge. FFA develops leadership and personal skills. A Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) provides hands-on learning while working or in an agricultural business. The Iowa FFA Association comprises 252 local chapters preparing over 18,000 students for future career opportunities. FFA activities and award programs complement instruction in agricultural education by giving students practical experience in applying agricultural skills and knowledge gained in classes. Through agricultural education, FFA makes a positive difference in students' lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success.

–

Attending National Convention in Indianapolis

Written by the Highland FFA Advisor, Gina Trower, October 26-28, 2022

FFA members from across the country celebrated success and unity when they gathered for the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo between October 26-28, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Theexpo took place at the Indiana Convention Center while the National FFA Convention was held at Lucas Oil Stadium. This year, one of the highest number of members, guests, and advisors reached over 66,000!

The Highland FFA attended the trip to Indianapolis where they were able to spend time within the Expo Hall meeting and learning about agricultural colleges from around the country, meeting large corporations such as Syngenta, Bayer, Tractor Supply, ADM, BASF, Cargill, Case IH, John Deere, CHS Inc., and many more.

This year, Highland did not have any students competing in the national level contests, but they were able to sit in and watch other schools who were competing at nationals. Some of the Leadership and Career Development Events being held were Prepared Public Speaking, Dairy Cattle Evaluation, and Extemporaneous Speaking. Schools from all states across the country were present and represented their state for each FFA contest.

Aside from the 95th National FFA Convention and Expo, the Highland FFA was also able to tour Indianapolis, visiting places such as the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. At this monument, members were able to take an elevator up to the top of the 284 foot tower and view Indianapolis. Every year, the Highland FFA also does a ‘family/chapter bonding’ night where the students are able to taste some of Indiana’s local cuisine at Buca di Beppo, participate in a few sessions of competitive laser tag, enjoy a family arcade and attend the FFA concert. This year’s concert was Jimmie Allen with his opener Lauren Alaina.