BILLINGS — Montana's Future Farmers of America (FFA) groups were hosted at Metra Park on Thursday for statewide competitions.
“There is a meats evaluation contest, a livestock judging contest, a mechanics contest, a floriculture contest, an agronomy contest,” said Susan Standley, who was running the food-science and technology career development event.
While many might assume that the FFA's sole focus would be agriculture, Saturday's attendees said the nonprofit focuses on a variety of fields that factor into agriculture.
“You’ve gotta be a scientist and a chemist. You’ve got to be an administrator and a bookkeeper. You have to have skills in leadership," said Cyndi Johnson, a judge in the Montana Farm Bureau's speech contest.
Some FFA members emphasized that the organization's goal is developing well-rounded and selfless individuals, underscored by the FFA motto, "learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, and living to serve."
"This project fits our motto perfectly, y’know, students are learning all of the different trades that go into a construction project," said Tom Andres, a science teacher helping students build tiny homes for homeless veterans, "Once that’s done, they’re serving our communities.”
Students like musician Addysin Chapa, being a part of FFA celebrates the cultural heritage of agriculture.
