The FFA in the USA Reporter program consists of nearly 250 student journalists who are tasked with producing articles, photo slideshows, videos and other content about FFA throughout the year. They are responsible for the dispatches you’ll read on these pages. To find the full articles — created by FFA members, for FFA members — visit FFA.org/FFA-in-the-USA.
WESTERN REGION
The 2025-26 National FFA Western Region Vice President Jael Cruikshank is a Bend FFA Alumna from Oregon.
Planted by Chance, Growing by Choice
By Hayden Pascua, Hawaiʻi
Kea‘au FFA alumnus and past Hawai‘i FFA state secretary Jordan Delos Reyes-Kaplan gives a presentation at a leadership workshop.
Jordan Delos Reyes-Kaplan’s FFA journey in Hawaiʻi showcases how service and leadership can grow from unexpected beginnings. The Keaʻau FFA Chapter alumnus was placed in an agriculture class during the 2021- 22 school year after a schedule change placed him in unfamiliar territory. That unexpected shift became the starting point for his leadership, community service and environmental conservation. Reyes-Kaplan held the roles of chapter vice president, chapter president and Hawaiʻi FFA state secretary, and he’s currently studying tropical ecosystems and agroforestry management at Hawaiʻi Community College.
Turning Mums and Meals Into Memories
By Emma Crabtree, Texas
In Texas, homecoming isn’t just a celebration — it is a tradition. For the Jacksboro FFA Chapter, it’s also the perfect time to serve its community. To wrap up a week full of school spirit and celebration, Jacksboro FFA passed out a meal and a mum to 120 people around the Jacksboro community.
By Jarren McBride, New Mexico
What’s a big, red barn doing in the middle of Albuquerque, N.M.? It’s not for housing hay, and it’s not for stables. Every day, for the two weeks that comprise the New Mexico State Fair, FFA chapters from across the state volunteer to educate residents about agriculture.
Alaska’s Agricultural Legislator
By Liam Wade, Alaska
Alaska Senator Shelley Hughes empowers the next generation of producers, including advocating for agricultural education. “We promote vocational education classes in high school to inspire future electricians, carpenters and mechanics,” she says. “We need to do the same for farmers, ranchers and other agriculture careers.”
SOUTHERN REGION
The 2025-26 National FFA Southern Region Vice President T. Wayne Williams is a Woodbury FFA Alum from Tennessee.
By Amber Tirado, North Carolina
Millbrook FFA members (from left to right) Amber Tirado, Brighid Lee, Erin Haugland, Rachel Winter and Eva Awasthi, attend the N.C. State Youth Hunger Institute.
Members of the Millbrook FFA Chapter are participating in the N.C. State Roberts Global Ag Research Externship, an externship that was created in 2024 to pair high schoolers with graduate mentors based on their research interests. From October through March, participating students write short research papers based on a country of their choosing that are presented at the N.C. Youth Institute hosted at North Carolina State University in April. The aim of the Institute? Finding solutions to end hunger worldwide.
By Lilia Mendez, Georgia
Rome Middle FFA hosted a Change Challenge to encourage students and staff to donate spare change for a good cause. The group set a goal to raise $250 of loose change to donate to a women and children’s shelter, which turned into an incredible $1,000.
From the Barn to the Classroom
By Gabriella Ramirez, Florida
From an early age, Emily Morgan knew she wanted to work with animals in some way. Teaching, however, wasn’t always part of her plan. What began as a new challenge quickly became a meaningful career. Morgan is currently a veterinary science teacher and FFA advisor for the Ferguson FFA Chapter in Florida.
By Sophey Errington, Mississippi
Greene County FFA officers empowered Greenhands to grow as leaders and to make a difference in their communities. Between na skit, workshops and games, freshman and sophomores learned how to become better versions of themselves.
CENTRAL REGION
The 2025-26 National FFA Central Region Vice President Claire Woeppel is a Chambers FFA Alumna from Nebraska.
Corn Drive Cultivates a Spirit of Giving
By Keeley Runge, Minnesota
St. James FFA members work together to load donated corn into an auger, which deposits it into a grain trailer that will bring it to the local elevator at the end of the day.
Every October, as combines roll through golden fields and trucks haul freshly harvested corn, the St. James FFA Chapter takes part in a harvest of its own — one rooted not in grain, but in gratitude. For years, the chapter has made it a tradition to dedicate a day during harvest season to its annual Corn Drive, a community-wide effort that embodies the final line of the FFA motto of “Living to Serve.”
By Brody Medina, Wyoming
Members of the Cheyenne Frontier FFA visited Washington, D.C., to discuss pesticide regulations and endangered species protection with national leaders. The team shared their work with members of the House Committee on Natural Resources, the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others.
By Molly Mayes, Oklahoma
Nearly seven years after donating her first show pig to the Oklahoma Pork Council’s Pork for Packs program, Cashion FFA member Maggie Carroll continues to donate her pigs annually to fight hunger.
By Marissa Gottman, Missouri
Following the serious spinal injury of one its members, JaTayvion “JT” Thomas, the Palmyra FFA Chapter did what it does best — it served. A chapter-organized benefit trap shoot and silent auction raised more than $4,000 for the Thomas family.
EASTERN REGION
The 2025-26 National FFA Eastern Region Vice President Joey Nowotny is a Laurel FFA Alum from Delaware.
By McKenzie Wilson, Virginia
Bassett FFA members pass out K9 lanyards to 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb participants.
Bassett FFA members traveled to Roanoke, Va., last fall to participate in the 2025 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb event alongside Roanoke City Fire-EMS. The event honors the 343 firefighters who died on Sept. 11, 2001. Members also chose to honor the K9 search and rescue dogs who served at Ground Zero in the weeks and months following the attacks. The chapter handed out 300 custom-made lanyards to participating firefighters, each carrying the name and biography of one of 28 heroic K9s who served in the aftermath of the attacks.
By Cole Bauman, Ohio
Liberty Center FFA members packed “Blessings in a Backpack,” with meals, toiletries, socks and small holiday surprises for families in need. “We realized there were families struggling to put meals on the table,” says chapter vice president Maddie Sattler. “We wanted to do something that would help in a tangible way.
By Emma Lenkaitis, Illinois
Bureau Valley FFA members are taking initiative to share patriotism within their community. Chapter officers came up with a goal to replace 40 tattered and damaged American flags along Highway 40, a main traffic route.
Harvest Potatoes By Hannah Shaw, Maine
By cutting the school’s summer break by three weeks to create an additional school break during harvest time, Mars Hill FFA members join farmers during Harvest Break, preserving potato farming traditions and strengthening community bonds.
