FFA National Convention 2024: Inspiring the next generations of agriculturists

Special to Guthrie News Page
By: Joci Fogle, Mulhall-Orlando FFA Reporter

Future Farmers of America (FFA) is the largest youth organization in the United States. This year, FFA reached over 1 million active members. Each year, the National FFA Officers plan for the National Convention. For the past 8 years, Indianapolis has been the host city for the country’s largest gathering of FFA Members. The convention will be held in Indianapolis until 2033. The National FFA Convention celebrates the accomplishments of individuals, chapters as well as states.

Mulhall-Orlando FFA has gone to the National Convention for the last 6 years. Each year that the chapter has attended has been because an individual or the chapter accepted an award. This year, the Mulhall-Orlando FFA Chapter was recognized as a National 3-Star Chapter. Chapter President Kaylee Blagden and Chapter Reporter Joci Fogle walked across the national stage to accept this honor. The chapter received this honor due to the outstanding work the chapter has done in the following three categories: Building Communities, Growing Leaders, and Advancing Agriculture. All events and activities that the Mulhall-Orlando FFA Chapter took part in helped them qualify for this honor.

This year, five of the Mulhall-Orlando Chapter Officers, President Kaylee Blagden, Vice President Daegan Pool, Treasurer Garrett Perrin, Reporter Joci Fogle and Sentinel Landon Chartier, as well as Mrs. Tonya Middleton, the advisor and Travis Perrin, sponsor went to the National Convention. They loaded up in a van at 5 o’clock on October 23rd. They quickly stopped at Waffle House in Springfield, Missouri for breakfast. Mrs. Middleton stops there every year so the kids can experience what it is like. After Waffle House they journeyed to St. Louis, Missouri, where they stopped at Union Station. At Union Station, some officers got to experience the St. Louis Aquarium while others took part in the high ropes course. The group then headed over to the Soda Fountain for lunch. They made it to Indianapolis around 8 p.m. They unloaded at their Airbnb and then headed to Condado Tacos for a late dinner.

The next morning, October 24th, was an early one for the group. Session 1 started at 7 a.m. Pool said, “This was my first National Convention. Walking into Lucas Oil Stadium and seeing all the corduroy jackets was amazing. It differed from our state convention, where you get to see all the different chapters in Oklahoma, but at Nationals, you get to see different states.” During Session 2 that same day, Blagden and Fogle accepted the National 3-Star Chapter Award. After Session 3, FFA Members went to the Indy Scream Park outside of Indianapolis for some frightening fun.

On October 25th, the group headed to the National FFA Center. The center is filled with artifacts and the history of FFA. Chartier exclaimed, “I thought seeing all the history inside was cool.” After the National FFA Center, they headed to Tuttle’s Orchard outside Indianapolis. At Tuttle’s, they took a tour of the orchard led by a well-informed employee. After the tour, the group explored the rest of the orchard and pumpkin patch. There was a corn maze, a giant slide, hay rides, a petting zoo, and so much more. For lunch, the group headed over to Culvers. At 5 o’clock, the group then headed to Session 6, where they got to sit in a suite with the Oklahoma State Officers and other State Staff. Members saw former Mulhall Orlando FFA Member Casyn Larman, whom is now Oklahoma’s Northwest Area Vice-President. The group then had their last meal in Indianapolis at Old Spaghetti Factory. Many laughs were shared, and memories were made on this trip by the Officers. The next morning, they woke up super early and hit the road to head back to Mulhall, Oklahoma.