On Sunday, October 26, members of the Byron-Bergen FFA set out for the 98th Annual National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Byron-Bergen New York State-Champion Poultry Evaluation team competed at the national level, and additional members of the FFA experienced an extensive road trip featuring stops at working farms, agriculture education centers, and community agriculture centers across five states before arriving in Indianapolis. At the national convention, Byron-Bergen FFA advisor Jeffrey Parnapy received an Honorary American FFA Degree in recognition of his service to his students, the FFA, and his commitment to agriculture education.
“I congratulate Mr. Parnapy on receiving the Honorary American FFA Degree, and I congratulate him on his tireless commitment to building and growing the Byron-Bergen FFA and agriculture education program,” said Byron-Bergen Superintendent Pat McGee. “I also thank him for making these experiences possible for our students. National conventions are a wonderful opportunity for students to get out of the classroom and have real-life experiences with different approaches to learning in different places. These experiences will stay with them long after they’ve left B-B.”
The journey to nationals included stops at Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA, where FFA members learned about regenerative agriculture and intensive rotational grazing. Next, they visited North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, to tour dairy, swine, sheep, goat, and beef facilities. Then they headed to the Gilmer County Agricultural Center, which is a public high school in Elijay, Georgia. This center has a public cannery and a partnership with Pilgrim Poultry for a production poultry facility on school grounds, which currently raises 11,200 birds every six to eight weeks.
While at the National Convention, the team of Grant Kuipers, Ruth Kuipers, Taylor Lundfelt, and Brook Pagels represented NYFFA in the Poultry Evaluation contest, in which they evaluated live poultry, carcasses, and eggs, identified poultry parts, and completed a written exam. The team earned a bronze award. All the FFA members also had the opportunity to visit the FFA Career Expo, which featured new technologies and educational opportunities from numerous vendors, educational institutions, and the US military.
“I am obviously immensely proud of the students who competed at Nationals. It is a huge accomplishment,” said Parnapy. “I’m also honored to take so many FFA members to Nationals every year. It is not just a competition. It is a chance for them to learn, network, and understand what agriculture looks like outside of their classroom or community. And, it’s a lot of fun.”
Other stops during the trip included Nashville and the Country Music Hall of Fame; Charlotte Speedway and Hendricks Motors Museum in Concord, North Carolina; and a rodeo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
