The River Valley FFA Chapter in Ohio is devoted to creating tomorrow’s leaders. With their advisor Karen Seckel and a chapter full of dedicated students, the members try to contribute to their community and each other as much as they can.
Like most FFA chapters, the students work hard for their successes. This year the River Valley FFA Chapter started multiple projects, including a hydroponic, aquaponic, and fodder system. The chapter president, Jackson Crawford, is taking the lead on these projects as he is assisting other members to have a research supervised agricultural experience project.
Another project the chapter has taken on this year is their student spotlight. Each month the officer team selects a freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior who has shown incredible leadership throughout their daily actions. They collect information about each individual and then spotlight those students on social media. This is a great way to acknowledge the kind actions each chapter member has accomplished.
One of the most important legacies FFA members can leave behind is an imprint on the future. The River Valley FFA Chapter does this through their Food for America program. River Valley FFA reporter Ben Wagner said, “We focus on teaching elementary students where their food comes from. In preparation for this activity, we divide our students into stations ranging from livestock, hunting and fishing, drones, staw fort, and more. This program is a very special day for elementary students as they learn the importance of agriculture while having fun. Each year I have taught third graders about the sheep industry and why we still use wool for clothing. I am very fortunate to have been actively engaged in the activity for the past four years.”
In addition to helping future generations, The River Valley FFA Chapter also helped their local dog pound during the holidays. During the month of December, River Valley FFA collected over a hundred items for the Marion County dog pound as their annual donation. Each grade level was responsible for a wide variety of items from cleaning supplies, office supplies, to dog food, treats, and toys. In light of the Christmas spirit, two of the senior officers delivered the items to the pound to show support from the FFA chapter.
The River Valley FFA Chapter is always looking for ways to support their community. The FFA chapter has donated over a hundred tie blankets for children’s hospital and participated in the Adopt-a-Family program in the past where they bring in items for a family to make the holidays special. Wagner continued, “We love helping the community and one way we achieve this is volunteering for various events, such as our local Tall Grass Trail in Marion, Ohio. They love to have our students volunteer at their facility to promote Earth Day, the trail of treats, and lots more. When we receive an invitation to do service, we always have members willing to dedicate their time.”
In addition to helping their community, River Valley FFA Chapter also supports its own members. Wagner said, “Our FFA chapter’s theme this year is to “elevate” our membership and chapter to do better in today’s world! To ensure that every member is included in our program we try to have a wide variety of different activities that our members can participate in. Whether it is a community service activity or one our chapter puts on, we try to make it possible for all of our members to be actively engaged. Our chapter also uses social media to remind our students of the upcoming events.”
With over a hundred and twenty active FFA members in the River Valley FFA Chapter, they are leaving a big imprint on their community.
