FFA Field Day at Fresno State to feature individual, team competition

By Danielle MacMurchy

For the past year, 2,300 high school students from all corners of California have been preparing for the 55th Annual Future Farmers of America Field Day and State Finals, which will be held tomorrow at Fresno State.

The field day will begin at 8 a.m. with a welcome speech by the Dean of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Daniel Bartel.

Throughout the day there will be more than 30 different competitions, at both individual and team levels. Students will compete in a wide range of contests, including:

• livestock

• crops

• public speaking

• interviewing skills

Many of these contests award the winners with scholarships to be used toward higher education. State-level competitors strive to win a silver trophy bowl and the opportunity to compete at the national level.

Throughout the years, the FFA Field Day has allowed prospective students to experience Fresno State’s campus and learn about its agriculture program.

The FFA Field Day committee’s public relations chair, senior Jennifer Wever, said FFA is benefiting students in a variety of ways.

Wever said her involvement in FFA throughout high school and college has taught her leadership skills and provided her with excellent experience for her future.

Wever stressed that FFA is not merely about farming, but is striving to equip students with skills that can be applied to their careers, whether they decide to pursue a career in agriculture or not.

“ This organization is largely about leadership,” Wever said. “I think FFA is particularly beneficial in California because so many aspects of the state are related to agriculture.”

FFA is a national youth organization, with 57,000 members located in California and 457,278 nationwide. California is the top agricultural state in the country, and FFA members see the importance of a thriving future in agriculture.

Member of the FFA Field Day committee, Craig Davidson, said he looks optimistically towards the future of agriculture in California.

“ If we continue to produce well-educated students who are more sensitive to the issues, this state will have a promising future.”

One of the issues Davidson is talking about is the decreasing of family farms. Davidson says, in general, farming in California is moving toward corporately owned farms and moving away from small family farms.

Wever recognized this progression in agriculture.

“ It’s no longer farming to sustain your family, but to provide food for the population,” Wever said.

Animal science major Tyler Blagg also addressed the positive advancements in agriculture.

“ With advanced technology, agriculture is improving, allowing us to produce more food for more people and be more environmentally friendly,” he said.

Blagg said less than 2 percent of the American population is involved in the production of agriculture. He sees a need to educate the other 98 percent about agricultural issues.

“ Educating people will produce better voters and better consumers,” Blagg said.

The field day is sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and is organized by the FFA Field Day committee, composed of Fresno State students.