Jessica Cunningham

The annual FFA Community Appreciation Breakfast is right around the corner, which takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The breakfast is free and open to the public, but donations will be requested. All donations will benefit the Children’s Hospital in Toledo. The breakfast was originally known as the farmer’s appreciation breakfast, according to Van Buren FFA Chapter leader Ms. Bowersox, “to thank farmers for the huge impact that they have in feeding and clothing people in our world.”
 

All current FFA students are required to attend, and each will purchase a breakfast item for points because the class is intracurricular, with the leftover items being picked up by the FFA account. “FFA encourages people and teaches them to gain responsibility, character, and citizenship, and by going to the breakfast, they get to exercise those skills,” said. Bowersox. “[Students] will be communicating with community members and putting our name out there.”

As long as the weather cooperates, a couple hundred people are to be expected throughout the day.

“My favorite part about the community appreciation breakfast is probably having all the community members come out, and being able to meet and talk to all of them. When the day is over, we take the rest of our bread and food to City Mission,” said junior Sierra Lowden three-year member and current FFA Vice President.   

FFA has been busy with many other events recently, mainly contests. In January, the tractor trouble shooting contest, where students work in teams of two to debug a tractor, took place. Junior Brad Couchot, three year member of FFA, said that the event was “a lot of fun.”

Another contest that recently took place was the job interview, in which junior Brooke Klausing placed first, and will advance to Districts.

Lowden said contests “are a fun way to learn more about agriculture related jobs and to meet new people.”

Desi Cunningham, junior, three year member, and FFA Reporter agreed, saying that contests, “are great because they teach a person to be confident, to use the knowledge they know about other things and put it to use in the situation, and they teach you a few things you might not have known.”

Also coming is National FFA Spirit Week, from Feb. 15 to Feb. 22. Junior Kenzi Hiatt, three-year member and FFA Assistant Secretary, said she most wants “camo day.” Lowden said, “an idea that has been brought up is Go Green; I like this one, so that we as a chapter can promote recycling.” Cunningham mentioned she is excited most for “Duck Dynasty day.”

The themes for Van Buren’s individual week this year are Patriotic Day on Tuesday, “Leadership Day” on Wednesday, Down on the Farm/Favorite brand of truck on Thursday (which is basically camo or Duck Dynasty day), and Blue and Gold Day on Friday.

Soon, FFA will also hold the cut and Tie-Blanket Making Event, on Feb. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event is a more “female-centered” event, in which people are invited to bring mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, etc. to help make these blankets to be donated to a local shelter.

The spring will bring even more exciting things for FFA as well. “We plant flowers and deliver them to nursing homes. We’ll do drive your tractor to school day, and we’ll do the Color Run in April,” said Bowersox.

Look forward to possible stories on these events, and be sure to stop by for some free breakfast courtesy of Van Buren FFA this coming Saturday.