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Boone County FFA growing already, in its second year

By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

UNION, Ky. — Cam White, agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Cooper High School in Boone County, Ky., had doubts that students would become interested in FFA at this relatively new high school.
“It’s been an uphill battle thus far,” said White, who had 45 students enrolled the first year. “We’ve grown in numbers as we’ve gotten the message out that this is not just for those wanting to farm, even though I’ve stressed to the students that 20 percent of the nation involves itself with agriculture in some way.”

Cooper High was built in 2008 to relieve overcrowding at the three other high schools in the county: Ryle High, Conner High and Campbell County High.

 “The majority of my students do not have an ag background,” White said. “At Cooper we’re still fighting that ‘good ol’ country boy’ image with FFA around here, but it’s a process that will take a while.”

White teaches three agriculture courses at Cooper High School: principles of Agriculture, Small Animals and Landscaping. Next semester he’ll teach a Small Engines course.

“Total enrollment in all three classes is now 75,” White said. “We’re steadily growing.”

Experience is on his side. He grew up on his grandfather’s western Kentucky farm, with tobacco and cattle. White was also involved in his own high school’s FFA program.

In just the chapter’s first year the Cooper FFA officers competed in speaking contests at regionals and attended the national meetings. “This fall we’re taking 12 students to the national convention in Indianapolis,” White said.

Knowing the trip to Indiana can be expensive, this chapter is heavily involved with fundraisers. Earlier this year the group picked up waste along roads in the county for Solid Waste Management during its Trash-for-Cash efforts. Presently the chapter is selling smoked meat snacks and beef jerky to its student body and others. On the fundraising agenda is a fruit sale and the sale of peeler discount cards.

Cooper High is located adjacent to Central Park and its arboretum. Because of the proximity, park board members want to form a partnership with White’s FFA chapter.

Last season his landscaping class helped erect a terraced vegetable garden at Central Park’s arboretum, complete with timber and plants. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get started with some landscaping here around our own school,” he said. “We are also looking for grant money to help erect a greenhouse here at Cooper as well, because horticulture is huge in this county. Boone County ranks fourth in the state in nursery stock. It’s everywhere you look.”

The FFA movement at Cooper was slow the first year, but things are picking up quickly. White credits a lot of word-of-mouth advertising.
“I’m looking forward to furthering my education with what I’ve learned through FFA,” junior Derek Turner said.

“My friends all ask me what FFA is all about and if it deals with farming. I tell them it involves a lot of different things, not just ag,” Turner added.

Cooper FFA vice president and senior Shumekia Overstreet spreads similar messages. “I lived on a farm at one time,” Overstreet said. “FFA gives me a chance to be around other people who enjoy agriculture.”

Cooper High has an enrollment of 1,000. The school is relatively new; so is this FFA chapter. “We’re on the right track, moving in the right direction,” White concluded.

10/14/2009