Bozeman, Montana – As hundreds of FFA members visit the annual Agriculture Expo this week, the MSU campus and the Gallatin County Fairgrounds are covered in a sea of blue corduroy.
Members of the FFA for six years include Mackenzie Serrano, Riley Larson, Jaylea Lunceford, and Kyelynn Coombe.
“It’s not just for the farmers and the ranchers. Premier leadership is a big deal, and it can be useful in any field,” says Lunceford, whose FFA roots run deep.
“I got the opportunity to have my father as my ag teacher, which is super cool, so I grew up being a part of FFA,” says Lunceford. “For me it is generational.”
All of the females want to work in agriculture. They claim that FFA has prepared them for success.
“We have interview skills and networking skills,” says Serrano.
It doesn’t just stop there, Coombe said.
“The connections and experiences we get in FFA will help lead us into our futures,” says Coombe.
At the MSU student union, over 1,700 FFA members from all over Montana came to hone their leadership abilities.
“Through leadership workshops, and they get to compete in career development events,” says Morgan Kuntz who is the FFA director of development.
Riley Larson describes the occasion as the annual Ag Expo and says it is a significant one.
“This is the 11th annual Ag Expo,” says Larson. “It’s where I started out and it was my first big contest. It’s a great way to make those first connections through FFA.”
With more than 6,000 members across Montana, according to Kuntz, FFA is the largest school organization.
“FFA is as strong as ever and it is still growing,” says Kuntz.
According to Lunceford, Serrano, Coombe, and Larson, they will promote FFA membership to their future offspring.
“It’s not a choice,” says Lunceford jokingly.
