FFA Exchange Program connects chapters

As part of their planned activities for National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Week, the Meyersdale Area High School (MAHS) Chapter of FFA sent some special Somerset County “sweetness” to students in Shelby, MT.

MAHS FFA Chapter has partnered with students at Shelby Public High School to participate in an FFA Exchange Program. Students from both schools have purchased and packaged items that are representative of their respective communities to send to their counterparts. Shelby High School is a small rural school, located just 30 miles from the Canadian border.

MAHS Advisor, Doreeen Jamison, said she saw the idea in a planning guide and shared it with her members. They enthusiastically embraced the idea and quickly began planning the items to represent their community and the region. Jamison said her colleague Thad White is the advisor at Shelby Public High School. White is originally from Blair County and the two had worked together in the past.

MAHS FFA Chapter President Alexia Laws says the package sent to Shelby contains items that were made in Somerset County or have significance to Meyersdale or our county. Items sent included Somerset County maple syrup and maple products, apple butter, locally made goats-milk products, Chapter apparel and a book about the Flight 93 National Memorial site.

“We enjoyed the opportunity to show FFA members in Montana what a taste of Pennsylvania is like,” added member Jesse Miller.

Brayden VanBogelen said he is looking forward to receiving the package from Montana, eager to see what students have chosen to represent their community.

Jamison says she hopes this program will continue to link the two chapters far beyond the packages sent, “I hope the students get the opportunity to see what other FFA chapters do and see from their part of the United States.”