Williamsburg FFA attends legislative symposium

Williamsburg FFA members visited the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines to build character and promote citizenship, volunteerism and patriotism.

More than 700 high school students wearing blue corduroy from 118 schools visited the Iowa State Capitol Building Jan. 30. The students visited with five legislators: Senate President Amy Sinclair, Sen. Dawn Driscoll, Rep. Brad Sherman, Rep. Heather Hora, and Rep. Sorenson.

The students exhibited skills learned in the agriculture classroom and learned the importance of citizenship.

This was all part of the 39th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol.

During the morning, FFA members gathered at the Downtown Embassy Suites and enjoyed a brief message from Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, who then presented the FFA Week Proclamation. The proclamation officially declares Feb. 17-24, the week of President George Washington's Birthday, FFA Week in Iowa.

The morning program provided opportunities for FFA members to hear from Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, about the importance of agriculture in Iowa and abroad.

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President, Brent Johnson, delivered a message about the importance young agriculturalists can play in the agriculture industry, and Jake Swanson, from High Yield Strategies, spoke about the importance of advocating for the agricultural industry.

The 39th Annual Iowa FFA Legislative Symposium and FFA Day at the Capitol was made possible with support from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation through the Iowa FFA Foundation.