FFA Members ATTEND National Convention!

On October 22-25, 2024, Wilton FFA members attended the 97th Annual National FFA Convention. Members participated in leadership activities, the First General Session, the Career & Expo center, industrial tours, and other fun activities during the evening in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

On Tuesday, October 22, the students did their first tour with Bounds Show Goats. Cooper Bounds discussed the program and different methods for producing high-quality show goats. The students loved seeing the breeding facilities and how much goes into show goats. Then they took a second tour at the University of Illinois College of ACES. Kaitlyn Thede said, “ We loved their campus greenhouse as well as their beef facility. We learned a lot from our tour guide Jackson about what goes in and out for producing market-ready cattle.” 

On Wednesday, October 23, students attended the 97th Annual FFA National Convention. Students participated in leadership workshops, which consisted of attending various sessions and exploring the Career & Expo Center. After a whole day at the convention, they went to a local Mexican restaurant and ended their night with some haunted housing and Dave and Busters. 

On Thursday, October 24, the students went on their third tour to Silver Drache Farm. Andrea Eppley gave the students a great overview of what it takes to run a retirement facility for horses in an ever-shrinking agricultural area. She also talked to the members about importing and breeding high-quality dressage horses. Then the students went to the Lincoln Tech facility and got to see the different certification programs for students, consisting of automotive, diesel, welding, and food tech. This gave the students more options in considering what they wanted to do after high school. 

Lastly, on Friday, October 25, members attended the FFA Convention. Students were able to walk around the Career Expo and talk to different colleges and career companies. They then ended their day by traveling back to Iowa.