View from the Cab: FFA's Time to Shine

February is here and National FFA Week is just around the corner. This can only mean one thing: pork chops.

‘Tis the season for FFA meals and auctions at area schools. You can find me broadcasting live from a high school cafeteria near you over the next several weeks. I will kick off National FFA Week on Saturday, Feb. 18 with the Pontiac FFA dinner and auction. My travels will lead me to Lexington on Friday, Feb. 24 for the meal, silent and live auctions. Then, on Feb. 25, I am off to the 37th annual Prairie Central FFA Farm and Home Show in Forrest. You can say hi at the Central Illinois Farm Network booth.

As we turn the calendar to March to celebrate National Agriculture Month, I will visit the Flanagan-Cornell FFA Auction the first Saturday of the month, March 4. They are planning to hold an open house for their new greenhouse. Dinner is slated for 5-6:30 p.m. with the auction after that. My FFA season of coverage winds down with the annual Prairie Central FFA Hog Roast and Auction at the high school in Fairbury Thursday, March 16.

It is always nice to interview the students and their advisors. Plus, the parents and grandparents always like to know when the articles will be posted online, in the newspaper or heard on the radio. Watch for details at www.centralillinoisfarmnetwork.com, listen for updates on WGCY 106.3 FM or keep reading this fine local publication.

According to the National FFA Organization’s website, the letters “FFA” stand for Future Farmers of America, but the organization is so much more. FFA is no longer restricted to those wishing to be farmers, it also welcomes new members who want to explore careers in science, teaching and business. The organization name was officially updated in 1988, following a national convention vote, to reflect the new opportunities within agriculture.

A mission of FFA is to make a positive difference for students by developing potential for personal growth, leadership and career success through agriculture education. The FFA Organization website goes onto state that students whose lives are impacted by FFA will grow personally and academically.