by JESSIE WHITEHEAD, Polk County FFA Federation Vice President
Fall is officially upon us, and the cool wind has found its way to Florida. With the start of this new season comes the start of many FFA competitions.
The Polk County Creed contest was held, and Mattie Fountain from the Lakeland Christian FFA chapter brought home the win from this popular LDE.
The District 8 Forestry CDE was hosted for the first time at the Tenoroc Public Use Area instead of Kissimmee State Park. George Jenkins High School and Bok Academy Middle School will be representing our district at the state forestry contest after their A teams placed first in the event. For the rest of the high school division, the George Jenkins B team followed behind in second and the Lake Gibson Senior A team placed third. In the middle school division, Bartow Middle ranked second, and Lake Gibson Middle third.
The Polk County Farm Bureau also had its annual meeting, and educational speakers highlighted the advancements in our area such as innovative technologies that will evolve the agricultural industry in our community.
Representing our region in state office as the Area 4 State Vice President is Emma Self. She graduated from Bartow Senior earlier this year and is a longstanding member of the agricultural community in Polk County. Throughout her time in State Office, she has had the opportunity to travel across Florida and connect with various FFA members. Emma says, “The connections I’ve built between teammates, state officers from other states, and especially members are something I will never be able to replace. I cannot express enough gratitude for the fun and growth I’ve undergone throughout the year already.” Emma has already made an impact on many members back home, and there is even more to come as she continues her year of service!