by JESSIE WHITEHEAD, Polk County Federation Officer
The school year may have ended but the Florida FFA schedule of events is as busy as ever. Advisors and members have been spending their summers at conventions and camps to receive recognition for their accomplishments and to prepare for the upcoming events that will start when classes are back in session. Camps outside of the FFA organization but heavily involved in the agricultural industry have also been keeping young students busy and learning over these past summer months.
The first thing that was on the schedule for advisors and members was the Florida FFA 96th State Convention and Expo. This is held every year to showcase the accomplishments of FFA members across the state and Central Florida and it was well represented. With multiple state winning teams, top five teams, many state and American degree recipients, and lots of other individual awards, Polk County really showed up and showed out. The county also represents Florida FFA as its District 8 and Clayton Keene and Jessie Whitehead were elected as the President and Secretary of the district. The biggest news for Polk County though may be who was named the Florida FFA Area IV State Vice President, which is Caitlynn Robertson, a recent graduate from Lake Gibson High School. Caitlynn will serve her area this upcoming year just as Emma Self, the former Area IV State Vice President from Bartow High School, did.
The second event of the summer for agriculturally involved students was Camp ROAR, hosted by Warner University. This year’s camp was the eighth one held by the university, and there will be many more to come for incoming freshmen through newly graduated seniors. The theme for this past Camp Roar was “Ride for the Brand,” and students learned that people in the cattle industry work hard and put pride into the farm/ranch they are employed by. The participants of the camp were taken on many industry tours ranging from visiting Fussell farms, to Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction and Market, to a UF research center that focuses on range cattle and many more places. They also were able to work with many kids from all over the state of Florida in groups to compete in ROAR Wars to find which team was the best of the best. This camp is an amazing opportunity for agriculture students and each year they are presented with different topics to learn about.
The final camp was the 2024 Florida FFA Forestry Training Camp, which helps students prepare for district, state, and national forestry contests. Students who attend this camp are taught the basics of dendrology, tool identification, pest identification, nutritional disorders, weed identification, mapping, compass and pacing, timber cruising, and general knowledge. Students are divided into forests — Cypress, Hickory, Oak, and Pine — each with their own foresters so they have the best opportunity to learn on a more one-on-one basis. At the end of the week, there is an exam to test what students have learned, and 10 Top New Campers and one Top Returning Camper are named based on their scores at the end of the week banquet. This camp is the longest-running forestry camp in the entire country and has been around since 1934 for a good reason.
These conferences and camps provide students with amazing experiences, learning opportunities, and lasting friendships and this summer has been one of the best for these students. Each of these events are unique in their own way and are an important part of ag students and FFA members’ summers. Lives are changed through these conferences and camps, and they are vital parts of Florida’s FFA and agriculture industry so that members and students turn into workers and teachers.
