OFI 1735: How To Win Over $1 Million In Scholarships & Prizes Through Ag Mechanics | Special FFA Episode | Jay Newton – FFA Advisor | Vega FFA

The Vega FFA Chapter has amassed over $1.1 million in scholarships and prizes through Ag Mechanics competitions in the State of Texas over the past 20 years. Jay Newton is the FFA Advisor and Emily Carlson is the Chapter President of the Vega FFA Chapter, and they join me on today’s episode to discuss this incredible accomplishment and journey.

Emily Carlson, Chapter President – Vega FFA

Starting in 2001, Jay Newton began to look at the FFA Experience a different way. Clearly, livestock projects dominated what students did for SAE projects, but he saw holes in those projects and opportunities for skill development that were being missed. So, he got the idea to try something radical. So, the next time he took his chapter to Houston, after the livestock shows were over they stayed an extra day and watched the Ag Mechanics competitions. Then, on the way back to Vega they discussed putting the chapter’s efforts towards ag mechanics rather than livestock.

The students were on board, so Jay took the idea to the school board. This was the tough sell, but he was ready with a partnership that he had formed that would allow any FFA student to have a livestock project if that was what they wanted to do. Permission was granted, and the journey began. 20 years later, the small Vega FFA Chapter, has a story to tell and an example to share of achieving great success through Ag Mechanics.

SUPERVISED AGRICULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Ag Mechanics

HIGH SCHOOL: Vega High School: Vega, Texas

MASCOT: Longhorns

FFA ADVISOR: Jay Newton

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR JAY NEWTON:

Click on the picture below to be taken to the Vega High School Ag. Department’s website:

Vega High School’s FFA Advisor’s Email Address: jnewton@vegalonghorn.net

Vega High School’s Telephone Number: 806-267-2123

FFA LINKS:

National FFA Organization

Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s)

Support FFA

Donate to FFA – One way that FFA students are able to start small businesses is through an FFA grant of $1,000. In 2014, 141 FFA students received these grants. With your donations, more students can get this head start – pay it forward.

REASONS TO DONATE TO FFA:

Only 2% of Americans grow and raise most of the food and livestock consumed by the other 98% as well as the rest of the world. FFA is providing the needed education, training and resources to Americans that will carry that torch forward and insure that America continues to have inexpensive, quality food.
Rural Communities will rely on entrepreneurship in the future for population growth and job creation. The FFA is a major catalyst to that entrepreneurial growth.
Farmers, ranchers and those working in agriculture give the rest of America incredible amounts of freedom because the search for food is as simple as going to the grocery store:

“Because American farmers are able to provide for so many of us, they give more and more of us the freedom to pursue goals and livelihoods beyond growing the food we need to survive.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack