Convention SPARK!

Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum was a sea of blue corduroy as hundreds of Mississippi FFA members gathered for the organization’s 91st annual state convention, SPARK. This celebration of agriculture in Mississippi has become a most anticipated event among the organization’s members. Over the three-day convention, there were numerous speakers, events and ceremonies, including the inauguration of the newly elected 2024-2025 State Council.

Mississippi’s FFA is an organization steeped in tradition, one of which is the three-circle model that is used to emphasize the importance of classroom instruction, FFA involvement and the student’s Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE). A student’s SAE is their personal agricultural project that they work alongside a mentor. Members are allotted the freedom to choose the basis of their project, as well as who they work with to meet their goals. During the convention, FFA members were able to share success stories about their SAE. The newly elected 2024-2025 President of State Council, Laynie Dodson, chose a personal route for her project and worked alongside her grandfather to plant a garden. She describes the experience fondly, “We would work spring to fall, cultivating the soil, making sure everything was perfectly in line for us to plant vegetables. Then we worked to harvest and preserve them. I learned to can vegetables and make jams/jellies and things like that. It also helped me to grow my sociability because even at a young age, my grandfather would take me to farmers’ markets and encourage me to talk about our process to customers and other vendors.” This project allotted her the opportunity to connect with a loved one over a shared interest and passion in agriculture.

From the outside, the FFA might seem to be merely an organization for young people to learn about the agricultural industry. However, as made clear, FFA means more to its members than just learning a trade. When reflecting on the organization’s influence on his life, the newly appointed 20242025 Treasurer of State Council, Jazabreun Spann, said, “I’m so thankful I was put in this position to represent Mississippi FFA. It sent chills down my spine when they said my name, because that means they trust me. They have already instilled trust, so I know they will instill passion and courage. This is personal for me because I want to get out of my comfort zone, I want to meet new people, and I want to express what it really means to be in this blue corduroy.” Many of the FFA members shared a similar sentiment, all expressing the importance of the friendships they have made through the organization, and gratitude towards their mentors and family members that encouraged them along the way.

It is evident that Mississippi’s FFA is benefitting their members not only by means of resumé-building and scholarships, but cultivating in them intangible values such as self-confidence, social intelligence and an appreciation of intentional labor.