West Bladen FFA and East Bladen FFA members had never heard of Working Lands Trust, a nonprofit based in North Carolina. But the moment executive director Michael “Mikey” Fulk explained that the nonprofit’s mission was to conserve working farms and forests to sustain North Carolina’s food and fiber supply, Jordan Hester, West Bladen FFA chapter president, knew he wanted to be involved.
“I’m from a farming family,” Hester says. “North Carolina is losing so much farmland, so anytime we can conserve [agricultural] land for the future, we should.”
Hosting a Farm Revival Event
The Bladen County FFA chapters collaborated with Working Lands Trust to plan an event called Farm Revival 2023. The inaugural banquet in October brought together landowners and representatives from the nonprofit to provide information about the benefits of using easements to conserve working lands for future generations.
According to Fulk, this work is important because North Carolina could lose 20% of its 8 million acres of farmland to development by 2040; the state currently ranks second in the nation for agricultural land loss.
The Farm Revival 2023 event was made possible due to support from local and state leaders.
“Students who get involved in FFA believe in agriculture,” Fulk says. “There’s no better way to support North Carolina agriculture than to protect the lands that produce our food and fiber.”
Members of West Bladen FFA met with local farmers, secured sponsorships and sold tickets to the October 2023 event. For Hester, Farm Revival 2023 fulfilled his mission to increase engagement with the community and help develop leadership skills.
“It helped us feel more comfortable talking to different people, and we saw how important community outreach is,” he says.
More than 150 people attended the event. It was hosted by and held at Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery in Elizabethtown, N.C. Smithfield Foods donated food, and local and statewide businesses sponsored the event or donated raffle baskets. Local and state leaders who attended Farm Revival 2023 also recited the FFA Creed and opening ceremonies.
Planning for the Future
During the event, members presented the FFA Creed and opening ceremonies.
West Bladen FFA advisor Reva Orr says the event highlighted members’ and leaders’ continued commitment to embodying the FFA motto of “Living to Serve.”
“We want to show community members how FFA serves and protects our land,” she adds.
West Bladen and East Bladen FFA chapters received about 20% of the proceeds from the event. Orr plans to use the funds to support members’ supervised agricultural experiences, chapter events and community service projects.
Looking ahead, Hester is eager to start planning the 2024 event.
“A lot of times, farmers work alone and often feel forgotten,” he says. “The Farm Revival event celebrated farmers and that was awesome.”
