"I believe" are two of the most
powerful words in our language. Anyone who has worn the blue corduroy jacket of
the National FFA Organization knows those words as the beginning of the FFA
Creed.
"I believe in the
future of agriculture" is the first full phrase of that creed. The
principles expressed in its 259 words have served as a compass that has guided
me in my career in public service and agriculture. I learned to recite that
creed from memory as a freshman in the Battlefield Chapter at Gettysburg High
School, wearing my new blue FFA jacket.
FFA offers a rare
opportunity to stand in front of your peers and state what you believe. FFA
taught me how to engage with others when delivering speeches, both prepared and
extemporaneous. I met people from a diverse cross-section of the agriculture
industry and from across the Keystone State, and through that exposure I
learned how to develop my thoughts and opinions. It all officially started with
that creed speaking competition, which is still an integral part of the FFA
experience today.
But my exposure to FFA
started in parochial school, when seasoned vocational agriculture teacher
George Glenn would visit my older brothers Larry and Gary on our farm to review
their dairy cattle projects. Supervised Agricultural Experiences, or SAEs, are
at the heart of the FFA program. I was lucky to be exposed to Mr. Glenn's
tutelage, learning from him through my brothers' experiences. When I arrived at
high school, I was excited to join the Future Farmers of America, as it was
known then.
It was Mr. Glenn who
encouraged me to pursue formal studies in agricultural education at Penn State.
He, like my other agriculture teachers, Tom Oyler and Ron Sollenberger, saw the
potential within me. So in my junior year of high school, I added the academic
track to my vocational agriculture track – but always kept my FFA jacket with
me.
The FFA jacket is the
equivalent of a varsity letterman jacket, an identifier of your
accomplishments, especially with awards pinned across the front. There is a
transformative power within that corduroy, too; when you take the jacket off,
you aren't the same person you used to be. And you only learn that by way of
reflection, looking back at who you once were.
After high school, I
received a new jacket when I was selected as Pennsylvania State FFA vice
president, and the "Battlefield" chapter title was replaced with
"Pennsylvania." I took that jacket with me when I was selected to
represent Pennsylvania by running for a national FFA office. I wasn't selected,
but it was another valuable experience for this farm boy from Adams County.
My FFA jacket, and the
agricultural education degree that I later pursued, shaped my worldview. FFA
experiences were the only times I traveled far from the farm, including my
first trip to Penn State University and my first national convention journey to
Kansas City, Mo. Those experiences gave me a greater understanding of the world
of opportunities open to me and solidified my belief in the future of
agriculture.
Today’s FFA members
experience the same unique vocational agriculture system offered when I was in
high school. Now, as then, FFA exists in conjunction with classroom instruction
and hands-on learning through SAEs.
While some FFA alumni
pursue careers outside the agriculture industry, they take with them a passion
for the industry and the leadership skills provided by the National FFA
Organization, as it's known today. As the creed states, we believe in the
promise of better days through better ways.
FFA empowers our youth,
and I believe in the future of Pennsylvania agriculture because I believe in
them.