Over 70 FFA members explore ag in Spain and Portugal

More than 70 FFA student members serving as state officers in their respective states started the new year by exploring the history, culture, and agricultural practices of Spain and Portugal.

National FFA’s International Leadership Seminar for State Officers is an annual program designed to develop awareness of global agriculture and enhance cultural competency of student members. Traveling state officers help lead more than 1 million members in 9,235 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Throughout the trip, students had opportunities to demonstrate foundational knowledge of global values and diversity while learning about the diverse agriculture landscape in both Spain and Portugal,” said Joe Martin, program specialist, advocacy, literacy and ag based experiences at the National FFA Organization. “The pre-work the students did prepared them to have an incredibly rich and impactful experience.”

The students explored Madrid, Granada, and Seville while in Spain, experiencing the rich history of the cities by visiting the John Deere Innovation Center for High Crops in Parla and visiting the Picualia Olive Oil Company while in Granada. They also toured the Almeria areas, often known as the ‘Orchard of Europe,’ where they saw three different types of greenhouses. While in Seville, they visited Yeguada de la Cartuja, known for their Andalusian horses.

While in Portugal, the world’s top cork producer — producing 52 percent of corks, students visited a cork producer before visiting the Escola Superior Agraria de Santarem, Portugal’s oldest and most prestigious agricultural education school.

Students who participated in the trip are:

Alaska
Inga Peterson, Fort Wainwright

Alabama
Lilly Kaiser, Woodland
Emily Rezek, Opelika

Arkansas
Taylor Moffett, Judsonia

Delaware
Kathryn Argo, Harrington
Edwina Chen, Newark
Kyle Gares, Bear
Jetta Hastings, Milton
Andrew Nowotny, Laurel
Kailyn Pippin, Harrington

Florida
Afrifa Amoah-Mensah, Sorrento
Jocelyn Eubanks, Grand Ridge
Braley Hines, Trenton
Gabrielle Howell, Lithia
Macy Jordan, Bascom
Raelynn Paniagua, Clewiston
Caitlynn Robertson, Lakeland

Iowa
Collin Bauer, Ames
Kadence Boender, Doon
Brooklynn Booth, Manning
Cody Messer, New London
Creed Monroe, Decorah
Tucker Rohrig, Orient
Chloe Zittergruen, Keswick

Idaho
Aislyn King, New Plymouth
Joshua Nelson, Troy

Illinois
Benjamin Bremmer, Pearl City

Kansas
Natalee Bray, Scandia
Quinn Browning, La Cygne
Jory Ratzlaff, Galva

Louisiana
Camille Sonnier, Iowa

Maryland
Katelyn Bullock, West River
Ella Burrier, Thurmont
Mia McGuffin, Jefferson

Minnesota
Miriana Eiden, Rogers

Mississippi
Laynie Dodson, Nettleton

Montana
Ryan Bal, Bozeman
Reagan Long, Livingston
Haley Rigler, Bozeman

Nebraska
Brynn Almgren, Spencer

New Mexico
Victoria Lopez, Las Cruces

New York
Jack Beyer, Lowville

Ohio
Caleb Bennett, Washington Court House
Carter Boyd, Hillsboro
Layna Gordon, Newark
Jayden Hicks, Bradford
Josie Jennings, Springfield
Gracie Sprague, Genoa

Oregon
Julie Amos, Roseburg
Hunter Bingham, Haines
Taft Rice, Madras
Spencer Romans, Nyssa
Vivian Seaholm, Tillamook

South Carolina
Lyle Fulmer, Prosperity
Alex Vega, Beaufort

South Dakota
Emily Robbins, Aurora

Tennessee
Skylar Baird, Lebanon
Elijah Julian, Sparta
Paige Pardue, Hendersonville
Alexis Rush, Portland
Shelbi Wallace, McEwen
Emily Whitehead, Seymour
Troy Williams, Liberty

Virginia
Keller Cooley, Stephens City
Jackie Diaz, Timberville
Braelyn Durbin, Gore
Ryan Livesay, Warsaw
Grayson Long, Rockingham
Allison Rhodes, Weyers Cave
Blair Rutherford, Glade Spring

Washington
Makenna Barron, Waitsburg
Levi W. Kukes, Quincy
Ashley Landt, Reardan
Emily Ryder, Ellensburg