A Future Farmers of America (FFA) poster hangs from a fence near the Clarke Central High School greenhouse, commemorating the year the CCHS chapter was founded. CCHS FFA President Jordan Butler, a junior, joined FFA as a sophomore. “I got involved with FFA sort of by chance,” Butler said. “I used to be in a physical education class that I just didn’t like at all, but I had an alternate course of agriculture. I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll take this.’ Through that I met Ms. Gordon, who’s our adviser. It was my first time taking an (Agriculture) class in high school. Everything felt right in the situation.” Photo by Alexander Robinson
The Clarke Central High School Future Farmers of America chapter received a silver rating from the National FFA Organization for the second year in a row.
On April 18, the Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter at Clarke Central High School received a silver rating from the National FFA Organization for its efforts in the community.
CCHS agriculture teacher and FFA adviser Jillian Gordon, who established the chapter in 2016, believes that the silver rating is a reflection of her students’ dedication to a number of national FFA mandates.
“We follow something called a program of activities in FFA. The national FFA puts out these 12 specific categories that they believe all chapters should hit. Some of those include citizenship, scholarship (and) strengthening agriculture; continuing to pursue and advocate for the agriculture industry. Based on these 12 standards, you’re supposed to have an activity that hits each and every one of them.”
Gordon believes she helped her FFA students pursue these categories in innovative ways, hoping they’d learn more about the environment than they would otherwise.
“One program that the students did was a multi-part project,” Gordon said. “Two students did a research project about composting in Athens. (They) put out a survey and we had over 250 responses. They went though, looked at common themes, figured out some of the demographics between those different themes and really nailed all of it out. This was a very comprehensive learning process, and one that I think will make a really cool impact in Athens.”
CCHS FFA President Jordan Butler, a junior, attributes much of the program’s success to the career-oriented activities that members participate in.
“On top of our education, we go to career development events,” Butler said. “Those are either marketing plans, poultry judging, nourishing landscape or creed speaking. We also go to our national convention, which happens in Indianapolis, IN every October. Next week we’re also going to the Georgia state convention and have eight agriscience fair entries to hopefully compete in the national level.”
