FFA Named Monsanto Grow Communities Winner
March 02, 2015
Launch the media gallery 1 playerOn Friday, the Johnson County Central FFA Chapter received a check for $2,500 from Monsanto Fund as a part of the America’s Farmers Grow Communities.
Allan Beethe, of Johnson County, was selected as one of the Nebraska winners and designated the JCC FFA Chapter as recipient of the check.
“With the amount of members they have, it shows that there is an interest in agriculture,” Beethe said. “It seemed like a good cause.”
All chapter members were on hand for the check presentation as a highlight for National FFA Week.
“We want to thank Allan Beethe and Monsanto for making this possible,” said JCC Advisor Mrs. Hodges. “We are also glad we could include this presentation on the same week as National FFA Week.”
National FFA Week (Feb. 21-28) helps chapters across the country communicate with others what FFA is all about and ignite a passion for agriculture.
“When I was a kid, everyone went back to the farm,” Beethe said. “Then we went through some years when nobody went back to the farm. So we need young farmers.”
The JCC Chapter held a food drive to support local groups including SENCA and the Osage Food Bank. In the elementary alone, more than 600 cans of food were donated.
Students also visited kindergarten through third grade classrooms, providing ag literacy demonstrations on making ice cream, planting marigolds and MyPlate nutrition lessons.
“I think it is very important for our students to interact with our younger classes,” Mrs. Hodges said. “We want to pass on agricultural skills to the next generation and they need to be able to look up to us as leaders.”
In one of the elementary classes, FFA members asked students where ham comes from. The first answer was from a vine. The second — from a grocery store. The third response said ham came from a cow. It wasn’t until the fourth response that a student correctly said that ham came from pigs.
“Those responses showed our students how important it is to let our youth know where their food is coming from,” she said.
JCC FFA also celebrated National FFA Week with dress up days and a PSA for local radio.
